Every once in a while you run into someone who can tell a story like no other. Someone who makes you feel like you could put yourself right into the middle of the story and experience the same thing. The story may be something you can relate to or it may be nothing like you’ve ever heard or experienced before, but the storyteller keeps you hanging on every word until the very end.

One such storyteller is Gary Sharp. Gary was born to Glen and Willa Mae Sharp in Bristol, Virginia in 1947. When he was one month old his family moved to Chillicothe, Illinois. Gary attended North and Pearce grade schools and graduated from Chillicothe High in 1965. In 1966 Gary began working at Caterpillar. He married in 1966 and has a daughter Cari Jo from that union. After that marriage ended, he married Janet Armstrong in 1970. They have a daughter, Rachel, and a son, Travis. Janet and Gary have been married for 54 years.

After working three years at Caterpillar, Gary found working inside a factory was not for him. He then joined the Teamsters in 1970 and drove trucks for Irion’s Concrete for a few years. Then getting his carpenter’s license Gary worked for Hoerr’s Construction and other contractors for years until he began working for Rick Hinck Builders. He worked for Rick as lead man for 16 years and then decided to go out on his own as a contractor for 9 years. He said he didn’t know if he could make it on his own, but as soon as people heard he was looking for business, they began calling him for jobs. He was so busy there was never a need to advertise. He worked by himself, except for an occasional job where he needed a skilled electrician. When that arose, he called his brother Dave to do that work. After 40 years working as a carpenter, he retired at age 62.

After retiring, Gary knew he could not just sit around and do nothing. When a vacancy became open at city hall, he was asked to fill the position of Alderman in the 4th ward, where he has been serving for 12 years. He tries to service the people in his ward by sitting down with them and listening to their concerns and ideas. “I want to give back and hopefully make a difference in the town I was raised in.” Gary explained, “You are not always popular when you have to follow the ordinances set down by the city, but I do my best to represent the people in my ward.” Gary is also on the public works committee where he enjoys working with the men that keep this town moving.

In younger years, Gary taught himself to play lead guitar and he sang in two rock bands with other local guys! He played men’s fast and slow-pitch softball, tennis, and bow hunted for many years. When the idea of building tennis courts at Shore Acres arose, Gary stepped up to organize a tennis association. The association, numbering about 30, also volunteered to help break ground for the courts by hauling dirt or gravel to the site and doing some excavating. 

Gary also has enjoyed coaching youth sports. He coached baseball and the Junior Football League for about 20 years and helped kids develop positive experiences in sports throughout the years.

Gary says the most influential person in his life was his mother. He says he could always sit down with her and talk for hours about anything, from moral values, love, work ethics, family, or how the world was changing. She impressed on him a strong sense of values and morals and he credits her as an example of how to live your life. He tries to follow that example to this day.

Gary relates that working as a carpenter for many years takes a toll on your body. He tells the story about working so hard one day building on a room addition that he felt his body was giving out. He was tired and sore and exhausted. At that moment he raised his hands to the sky and said, “Just give me a little more time to do the things I need to get done.” Not being an overly religious man, but believing in a creator, he said he didn’t know at the time to whom he was speaking those words to, but after that, he felt he had the time he needed and says becoming a builder and being able to create things with his own hands was very rewarding.

Gary always has a story about his experiences, his family, or others he has encountered over the years, which makes him the perfect person to write the Hometown Hero articles in the Hometown Voice each month, which we all love to read. He has a special knack for getting to the heart of each person’s story.  

Gary said he was not rich as a boy, but wouldn’t change his childhood for anything, but he says he did become rich when he married the love of his life, Janet. He says his greatest accomplishment in life was raising three caring and compassionate children with his wife.

“Everyone has a story to tell and I love to sit and listen to that story each time I do an interview for the paper.” Gary says he doesn’t have a cell phone, or rely on credit cards, and admits he’s not very computer savvy, but he does have a story to tell if you’ve got a few minutes (or more) to sit down and listen.

Gary is one of the good men in this town. He’s a person that steps up when a need arises or is always ready to help someone. Sometimes it’s just being a sounding board for a person who needs someone to listen. Gary is a humble man who remembers where he comes from and treats others the way he wants to be treated.

Thank you, Gary for the many years of serving our youth and our city, and for writing the stories about others that contribute to our town. Your story is the story we will always remember.