Gary K. Rounds

Gary K. Rounds, 78, of Greene passed away on October 2, 2025. He was predeceased by his parents, Kenton and Elizabeth Rounds. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Kristen Rounds and Bruce Wollen; daughter and son-in-law, Jen and Pat Wing; daughter and son-in-law, Mandi and Jonathan Lee; grandchildren, Tori, Laura, Sarah, Nicole, Jeremy and Karen; sister and brother-in-law, JoAnn and John Opp; sister, Marcia Keech; several nieces and nephews; and many excellent friends. 

Gary grew up on a farm in Greene with his parents and two sisters, and in that setting developed a lifelong love for nature, mechanics, and music. As a kid, he showed cows and calves at the Chenango County Fair, camping out in a tent for a few days each summer. He spent time trapping muskrats in the Chenango Canal and selling their hides in Oxford, and he enjoyed target shooting on the farm with his .22. At home, he fixed up one of his father’s old cars — a 1939 Chevy turned “doodle bug” — and drove it around the farm with the doors removed and the back cut away.

A math and science major, Gary graduated from Greene High School with a regent’s diploma. Around that time, he played organ and guitar in a local band called Sakes Alive, performing in bars and schools around town. He bought his first new car — a red 1965 Ford Galaxy 500 convertible with a black top — for about $2,500. Throughout his life he enjoyed going to watch car races, and in his early days even raced his own Lotus Elan at the local go-kart track.

Gary was drafted during the Vietnam War and served from 1967 to 1969 as a radio teletype operator. He trained in New Jersey and Georgia before being stationed at Camp Page in Korea. After returning home, he lived briefly in Pennsylvania, working at a Charmin paper plant, then took on carpentry and machine work before settling into a long career at Raymond Corporation in Greene.

He treasured the personal paradise of his home surrounded by nature, and loved seeing the wildlife including deer, bears, beavers, fisher cats, birds of prey, etc.  He often spent time just sitting outside his door and watching the bees collect pollen from the wildflowers.  He enjoyed gardening, always producing an outstanding crop of blueberries and garlic, and was especially fond of his homegrown tomatoes.  He was deeply independent, cutting his own firewood, and heating his house solely with woodstoves.

Gary was very mechanically inclined and was always seeking out the next project to tinker on. Many days were spent fixing things by hand, whether it was the family cars or his mother's old clock. He took pride in being able to salvage otherwise broken things and was always quick to offer a helping hand to family and friends who needed something fixed.

Gary spent his whole life in Greene and developed many deep friendships over the years. He rarely missed the opportunity to get together with friends for morning coffee, golf, or breakfast at the Legion, where he was known for his good-natured ribbing that always drew a laugh. In years past he enjoyed participating in horseshoe and bowling leagues.  All remember him as easygoing — someone who never complained, even when things were tough.

His daughters hold a lifetime of good memories - listening to him playing guitar or piano, driving around on back roads looking for wild blackberries, or learning to whistle with a blade of grass. His love of nature, his knack for fixing just about anything, and his appreciation for life’s small pleasures will live on in the memories of all who loved him.  He will be deeply missed by his family and many treasured friends.

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