Gary Wayne Cusick

Gary Wayne Cusick, age 66, of Dayton, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 22, 2022. Gary was born in Dayton on November 25, 1956 to the late Robert Cusick & Williadean "Cricket" (Ledbetter) Sullivan.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by the mother of his children, Therese Ladislaw and step-father, Jim "Tennessee" Sullivan.

Gary is survived by his children, Lisa (Kyle) Marcum, Chris (Destiny) Cusick and Marie Keaton; grandchildren, Scarlett Cusick and Lincoln Marcum; sister, Jackie Rupert; nephew, Dennis "DJ" Rupert; and many other relatives and friends.

Gary graduated from Belmont High School, Class of 1975 and retired as a Supervisor from Montgomery County Sanitary Engineering in 1999.

In 2005, Gary was given three months to live, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. It was at this time that his courageous battle for his health began. Gary was a devoted father and refused to allow this diagnosis to take him away from his kids. He fought long and hard, undergoing several rounds of intense radiation and chemotherapy treatments, along with a major reconstructive surgery to remove the cancer. He was declared cancer free for the first time, a year and a half after being diagnosed.

40,560. That is how many hours Gary spent on dialysis during his 13 year journey battling kidney failure. During this time, Gary showed us all what it meant to be a true warrior. Gary was the epitome of courage. Despite the struggles that he faced physically, Gary's spirit and his faith never wavered. He remained an inspirational pillar of strength and positivity for everyone that he came into contact with — "I'm blessed".

Gary was kind-hearted, loving, and courageous. He was a proud father, grandfather, son, brother, and a great friend to everyone he knew. He found the most joy in his kids and grandchildren. They were the light of his life and he made sure that everyone knew it. He loved his family fiercely. Gary was strong in his faith and had the most beautiful and peaceful transition into the heaven that he so strongly believed in. If you find yourself feeling mournful over Gary's passing, just look around and smile, because Gary is all around us. He is in the sun, he is in the moon and stars. Gary is in the laughter of a child and in the warmth of a loving embrace. Gary is a helping hand at Carmichael's on the weekends and watching Nascar races with his dogs, Temple and Lucy. He is at the ball fields coaching and sitting front row at celebrations. He is in every garden in the spring, and swimming pool in the summer. Despite his adversities, Gary found happiness in everything that he did — may his kind and loving spirit always remain a special part of every one of us.

The family will receive friends on Monday, January 2, 2023 from 4-8pm at the Newcomer North Chapel, 4104 Needmore Rd, Dayton, OH 45424. The service will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 1:00pm at the funeral home. Gary will be laid to rest at Byron Cemetery.

Gary's services will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Return to this site and click the livestream link to view the service. Click Here to view the service.

The family would like to thank the staff at Fresenius Kidney Care South and Ohio's Hospice of Dayton for their loving care.
Donations may be made to his daughter Lisa to help with funeral expenses.

To share a memory of Gary or leave a special message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.