Funeral: 6 p.m. Sept. 14 in Adams Funeral Home, Nixa. Inurnment will be at 1 p.m. Sept. 15 at Missouri Veterans Cemetery, Springfield, with full military honors.
Gary D. Groesbeck Sr. 68, of Springfield, died Sept. 9. He was born Sept. 8, 1949, in Springfield to Almond and Alta (Bunch) Groesbeck.
After graduating from Central High School in Springfield he joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. He was in the Infantry and had the duty of a “Tunnel Rat” because he was able to fit in the tunnels to find the enemy bunkers. His family stated he was “the first one in.” He was also an Army car pool mechanic.
After serving in the Army, Gary worked for a private school bus company in Washington as a driver and mechanic. He later moved to Springfield and worked for Springfield Public Schools continuing in the same career path.
He was an avid fisherman and outdoorsman. He was also very meticulous with his yard work, planting flower gardens and doing beatification projects around the house. He was a huge motorcycle enthusiast, and he was patient enough to sit and meticulously do model planes from start to finish.
Gary is preceded in death by his parents; brother Jimmy Groesbeck; and sister Georgetta Merideth.
Gary is survived by son Gary Groesbeck Jr. of Chesapeake, Virginia; son Christopher Fowler and his wife, Annie, of Addison, Michigan; daughter Tamara Groesbeck of Fayette, Ohio; daughter Crystal Kloberdanz of Federal Way, Washington; a sister Alice Bell and her husband, Freddie, of Republic; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and many friends.
