Gary L. Gregor

Gary Lynn Gregor, 76, passed away on April 7, 2026, following a brief illness. He experienced a peaceful passage at Denver Hospice in the loving presence of his wife Faith and son Ethan.

Gary was born on August 21, 1949, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was the oldest of Paul and Ethel Mae Gregor's five children. The family spent time with many relatives of multiple generations, celebrated holidays rich in love and tradition, and adored many pets.

One of Gary's favorite childhood activities was exploring with friends. His love for the natural world and all its inhabitants, from the everyday to the exotic, burned brightly through his life.

He attended Erie public schools and earned a bachelor of arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University. The friends he met there have remained close, and when they gather, they marvel at the precious gift of those friendships that now exceed five decades.

In 1975, Gary and Philip, one of those college friends, decided to make the trek to California. Gary made use of the available space in the car by packing his clothes inside his bass drum. A talented percussionist, he was fidgety by nature, and his fingers were constantly tapping out a rhythm on every nearby surface. Gary played the drums with zest and enthusiasm throughout his life, and from 2006 onward, played percussion with Stop Time, a talented collaboration of friends who shared their love of music with each other and the community. During the pandemic, Stop Time often played in Gary's back yard, much to the delight of passers-by.

Back to the original westward journey: it ended a bit shy of their destination when the car broke down in Colorado. They decided to stay -- and recently celebrated 50 years in Colorado.

A couple of years later, Gary met Faith Burton, another Colorado transplant who made the trip west after graduating from college. The two became good friends, then fell in love. They were married in 1979 and celebrated their 46th anniversary on August 4, 2025.

The wedding took place at First Unitarian Church, a good spot for two spiritual drifters. The reception was in the back yard of the small Washington Park bungalow that was to be their home for the rest of their lives together.

After celebrating with family and friends in 98-degree heat, Gary and Faith hit the road and enjoyed a two-week camping honeymoon on the Oregon coast. It was the first of many outdoor adventures.

In a succession of Subarus and Toyotas, they hiked and camped around Colorado and the West. They backpacked occasionally, until Gary's knees said no thank you.

Soon after marrying Faith, Gary began work as a dietary supervisor at Beth Israel Hospital. But his real passion, sparked by the birth of his son Ethan in 1984, turned out to be teaching. Spending time with his young son brought out his buoyant spirit of kindness, curiosity, insight and silliness that made him a wonderful dad and motivated him to become a wonderful teacher.

He began studying part-time at the University of Colorado at Denver, and in the late 1980s started a 25-year career with Denver Public Schools. He taught elementary grades ranging from 2nd through 5th, at Columbine, Newlon and Force elementary schools.

To meet the challenges of furnishing a classroom from scratch, he drew on another passion: yard sales. Cruising the neighborhoods on Saturday mornings, he would come home laden with children's books, classroom materials, and for his personal entertainment, piles of National Geographic magazines, philosophy books and the occasional Pink Floyd LP.

Gary was an insatiable reader. He breezed through books with determination, patience and an amazing talent to absorb the deepest of the deep. In 2025, for example, he finished James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, several pages at a time each afternoon, while enjoying a beer on the front porch – weather permitting.

On the other side of the property, another of Gary's hobbies thrived: the family vegetable garden. Summer wasn't summer without delicious tomatoes, beans, peppers, beets, carrots and squash.

Summer also wasn't summer without fishing. Despite his extroverted nature, after he began his teaching career he soon realized the value of solitary getaways. Every summer for several weeks, he'd disappear into the Colorado wilderness with his tent, fishing poles and a fiberglass canoe strapped onto the top of his Toyota Tacoma.

Fishing came to a halt for a very important reason: the blooming of his Buddhist practice.

It was in 2014 that Gary first came to Padmasambhava Meditation Center, a Tibetan Buddhist center near the University of Denver. It was love at first sight. He became a devoted student and practitioner there, inspiring many with his scholarly diligence and devotion that intensified at the very end of his life.

Gary brought compassion, curiosity, humor and kindness to all his life's experiences, and to all who were fortunate to have known him. He was a good, good man and he will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Faith Burton Gregor; his son, Ethan Stuart Gregor and wife Michael Maire Lange; his sister Jennifer Keifer and husband John Keifer; his sister Leslie Gregor Hinojos; his sister Lisa Jerebko and husband Peter Jerebko; his uncle Peter Pentz and wife Judie Pentz; his nieces Christina Gregor, Amy Gregor and Hannah Gregor Hinojos, his nephews Jakob Jerebko and Jackson Jerebko, and many other members of a loving and extended family. He was preceded in death by his brother Kurt Gregor.

A celebration of Gary's life will be held this summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Gary's spiritual home, Padmasambhava Meditation Center , or the American Friends Service Committee , in honor of Gary's lifelong commitment to peace and compassion.