Gary William Laidlaw

Gary William Laidlaw, age 77, was born in Winnipeg July 13, 1949 and passed away August 26, 2026.

Gary is survived by his wife, Debby Adams, his children Jenna Adams (Sean), Blake Adams (Ashley), his grandchildren Fiona and Oakley. Gary is also survived by a brother Robert Laidlaw, as well as a sister Wendy Coulter, John (Hutch), niece Kristine White (Dain), and children Taylor and Konner, many relatives, cousins, old friends & new friends. Gary is predeceased by his parents: father William John Laidlaw in 2004 and mother Elizabeth Louise Laidlaw (nee Smith) in 2005.

Gary was born & raised in the Elmwood area, leaving to pursue a job with Trans-Air, Canadian Airlines & later Air Canada, where his job took him from Calgary to Toronto. It was while working in Toronto that he met his wife, Debby.

In his youth, Gary had many friends with whom he shared fun and good times. He was always up for an adventure from building rafts to catching tadpoles, frogs etc. He loved going for a few days to spend time with his Uncle & Aunt and cousins Maureen, David & Jan at their property in Stonewall. Always something to keep him busy, probably why he decided to build his own place on his own little piece of heaven just north of the city and close to the lake. He loved country living and everything it offered, room to have pets, gardens, trees and fresh, open air to breathe where his family could gather. He will forever be remembered, and very much missed by those who loved him for the loving, kind, considerate, and caring man he was.

Jenna and Gary had nicknames for each other that were established back when the whole family lived in Toronto. Jenna referred to Gary as Garino, and Gary referred to Jenna as Gina. What started as a joke between the two of them were carried throughout the years. Jenna’s closest childhood friends to date and family still addressed Gary as Garino. Jenna living out of province in Ontario had a close relationship with Garino. He was one of Jenna’s biggest fans and loved hearing all about what projects she had on the go, especially when it involved the Toronto Blue Jays. He was so proud of all of her accomplishments. Jenna knew that Garino was always available to lend an ear to listen to anything she wanted to talk about. Most phone calls did not have to have a purpose and he was fine with that. Garino was always interested to hear what project Jenna’s partner Sean had on the go. Every visit to the cottage Garino always spent time to catch up and learn about Sean’s projects. They shared the same passion of staying curious and both of them continuously liked to learn about new things.

There are truly not enough words to describe the incredible relationship Blake had with Gary. Gary was a strong supporter of all of Blakes endeavours throughout his life. Gary taught Blake about the importance and respect of nature which has moulded Blake to this day. Gary was a listener. He was a sounding board for Blake to talk to about everything from work, hunting, fishing, family and politics which he enjoyed getting into on some morning commutes. Gary entered Blake and Jenna’s life at the same age he left Blakes children Fiona and Oakley. He loved his grandchildren which referred to him as “Grumpy” and daughter in-law Ashley unconditionally. He supported and cared for them in every aspect of life, whether it was asking Ashley about her bees, chickens, garden or career. He would always ask questions and was always truly interested. He loved to watch Fiona Irish dance, play soccer and was alway curious about what book she was currently reading or leather project she had on the go. Gary's passion for baseball carried over to watching and cheering on Oakley at ball games. He loved having Oak around and admired Oakley’s love of the outdoors. There are so many traits of Gary that have been passed on to Blake and his family through all the time they spent together. Even if Gary lived for another hundred years, his family would say he left too soon. Gary was one of the most selfless, modest, patient, caring and compassionate men you could ever meet. He was a role model to the whole family. His legacy will live on with our family through stories and memories. We look forward to all the tricks Grumpy will play on us and how he will show us he is still with us listening and watching over us in spirit.

Debby first met Gary in 1996 while working at Canadian Airlines. Gary had just been transferred to Toronto from Calgary due to a base shutdown. There was an immediate connection between the two of them. After a year of being friends they moved in together. He survived living with two females with hormones out of whack, one in menopause the other in puberty and a young boy who was used to being man of the house. This is a testament to how patient a man Gary truly was. Throughout the years he became a wonderful role model for all of them. He always encouraged Jenna and Blake to not be afraid to do new things and meet new people. When it came to giving them freedoms to spread their wings he would convince Debby the importance of this and she would relent. He played a huge role in helping mould Jenna and Blake into becoming the amazing adults they have become. In 2007 Gary and Debby were married with Jenna and Blake as witnesses. They also retired from Air Canada that year and began a new chapter in life together. Over the years they would vacation in Manitoba to his cabin that he built knowing that when retirement came he would go back to his roots and they would make that their home. Retiring together was not a shock as it may have been for other couples. Gary and Debby enjoyed each others company and had always been tied to the hip when traveling back and forth to work together. If you saw one the other was not far away. They were together 24/7. Gardening was both their passion and together they made his cabin their home. Here they created wonderful memories of family gatherings and celebration of special milestones. He was a homebody who was content living his life surrounded by family with Debby by his side. He was the love of her life, her rock, and soul mate from the moment they met. She knows that Gary will always be watching over her and his loved ones until they meet again.

A celebration of life will be held to honour Gary’s memory next year.