Gary Wayne Sabatine

Gary Sabatine – the drop-everything-to-help-everyone friend, avid evening fisherman, movie quote guru, and Pictionary king – passed away on December 22, 2021 after his short battle with cancer. 

Gary was known for being the guy that was just one call away. Whether a neighbour needed something fixed in their house or work needed to ask him a question, day or night, Gary would never miss a call and would always say, "I'll be over in a second", before heading out to offer his helping hand.

In the summers, when Gary wasn't at work or off for his nightly Tim Hortons run to Barry's Bay with his wife, Ruth, you could find them both spending their evenings together fishing at their favourite spot. Most of the time it was Ruth fishing and Gary being asked to “get the net!”, but he loved every second of those evenings out. 

For anyone who had a conversation with Gary, it can almost be guaranteed that they were interrupted by him and told that something they had said reminded him of a quote from a movie. He probably then continued to say the quote, use the exact actions that happened when the actor spoke, and end it with a laugh that could light up the room. He had a way of always wanting to connect to every story or conversation he had with anyone, which was always so special.

Now, Pictionary king may be a little bit of a stretch. Out of all the family game nights that he shared with his wife and two kids, Chase and Rhea, he may have been the weakest artist out of all of them but his little sketches always had them hootin' and hollerin' at the dining room table. 

If Gary can be remembered for anything, it would be his loyalty, devotion and love he shared for his whole family. Whether his daughter had another car question to be answered, or his son had a beautiful Scotland landscape to share with him over video chat, Gary made sure to always answer with a big smile on his face. He created father-daughter and father-son bonds with his kids that made them proud to be his children.

With his wife, the love and affection over their 34 years of marriage was blatantly obvious. They spent all of their time together, filling it with evening drives, playing Scrabble on the iPad cuddled on the couch, or sitting and enjoying a coffee on the back deck. He was a loving, trustworthy, reliable and irreplaceable man.

The family would like to thank the Home and Community Care Support Services Champlain, the Ottawa General Hospital, St. Francis Memorial Hospital, Rev. Bird and everyone else who helped support Gary and his family. 

He will be remembered by his wife, Ruth, and children, Chase (Emily) and Rhea, mother Jennie, and brothers, Darryl (Donna), Allan (Shelley), and Brian (Brenda).

(Predeceased by father, Maurice, brother Carl (Pam), and Sue.)

His family will be holding a celebration of Gary's life at the Madawaska Community Hall Complex on Tuesday, December 28th from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.