Gary Preisch

Gary Preisch, age 72, of North East, MD, passed away at home on Thursday, November 14, 2019. Born in Lockport, NY on December 21, 1946, he was a son of the late Lester C. and Iris (McCourt) Preisch. Gary proudly served his country in the U.S. Marines, committing to two tours of duty in Vietnam. He worked as a truck driver with auto hauler M & G Convoy out of Newark, DE. He continued trucking for 37 years. After a brief retirement, he began driving a school bus for Cecil County, MD schools and driving for a transport service hauling U.S. mail. Gary was very mechanically inclined. As a young man, he owned a Ford Mustang Boss 302 muscle car and participated in the drag race scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He made many modifications and repairs to various cars he owned including two Corvettes. As an owner-operator truck driver, he kept his semi-truck roadworthy and delivered new cars for many years. As a homeowner, he often fixed his own lawncare tools and mowers. Gary was known for his generosity. As a pickup truck owner, he frequently helped move others’ furniture. If you needed a ride to or from the airport, he was there. If you needed to store something for a while, he had room. If you needed to talk with a mentor or a father figure, he was available. Whatever you needed help with, he would find a way to work it out. In addition to his parents, Gary was preceded in death by his brothers, Clayton and Roger. He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Ruth A. (Franklin) Preisch; children, Garrett W. Preisch (Shelly) of Elkton, MD and Kirsten E. Costa (Chris) of Lucile, ID; sisters, Mary Palumbo of Lockport, NY and Muriel Dear of Wilmington, NC; sister-in-law, Valerie Dlugosz; mother-in-law, Helen Franklin; brothers and sisters-in-law, Charles Franklin (Debbie), Dale Franklin, Melba Saxton (Ronnie) and David Franklin; grandchildren, Katie Preisch, Konnor Costa, Nathaniel Costa, Gabriel Costa and Isabella Costa; many nieces and nephews; and beloved rescue dog, Lexi. A visitation for family and friends will be held from 6 pm until 8 pm on Thursday, November 21, 2019, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE. A second visitation will be held from 8:30 am until 9:30 am on Friday, November 22, 2019, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral, where a memorial service will begin at 9:30 am. Interment will follow in Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, DE. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to one of three organizations. For the Elkton Veterans Center, please make checks payable to “VA Maryland Healthcare System” and on the memo line please write “account # 1119, Elkton Vet Center, IMO Gary Preisch.” Mail to: Voluntary Service Specialist, Perry Point VA Medical Center, Bldg. 15 H – Room 214 B, PP/135/VS, Perry Point, MD 21902. For the J. Allison O’Daniel Post # 475 VFW in Newark, DE please call 302-366-8438 or visit 100 Veterans Drive, Newark, DE 19711. Optionally, please contribute to your favorite charitable organization. Please enjoy the video memories of Gary’s life.

Gary Preisch

December 21, 1946 - November 14, 2019