Gary Wayne Poe, 90, of The Villages, Florida, and South Bass Island, Ohio, passed away peacefully at his island home on June 25, 2026.
He was born in Willoughby, Ohio, on October 10, 1935. He was first married to Lorna Lee, and together they raised four sons – Robert, Richard, Ronald, and Russell – in Northeast Ohio. In 1977, he married Frances Razem, and the couple settled in Mentor, Ohio, where they built their life together and welcomed his fifth son, Michael. They remained in Northeast Ohio until 2004, when they moved to Florida, and in the years since they split their time between Florida in the winter and South Bass Island in the summer. Gary worked for 46 years as a machinist.
Though slowed in his final years by a series of physical setbacks, Gary lived an active, full, and genuinely happy life. He was kind, caring, and thoughtful – a devoted husband, a father who loved his children dearly, and a cherished grandfather. He loved to fish, to walk the Florida beaches he had vacationed on as a younger man and later made his winter home, and above all to tell a good story to anyone willing to listen.
His heart, though, was always on South Bass Island, where he and his wife, Fran, were residents of Fox’s Den for 49 years. He spent every summer and weekend there that he could, out on his boat, in the stands at island softball games, or sharing a beer with friends and strangers alike – though strangers never stayed strangers for long. He rarely missed the island’s antique car parades, and on the occasions he did, it was usually to watch his beloved Cleveland Browns, a team he supported his entire life. He taught water skiing as a young man and was still slalom skiing into his mid-70s, and he passed his love of the island, boating, and the outdoors on to his family. Over the years he formed many cherished island friendships, a number of whom preceded him in death. Even at 90 he was determined to make the trip north one last time this past month, and he would have been glad to know the island is where he passed on.
He is survived by his loving wife, Fran; his sons Michael (Alysia) Poe of Dover, Massachusetts, Robert (Sue) Poe of Venice, Florida, and Russell Poe of Willoughby, Ohio; his daughter-in-law, Lola Poe; his grandchildren Christy Barker, Nicole Poe, Julia Poe, and Oliver Poe; and his great-grandchildren, Lochlan, Sophia, Dylan, and Olivia.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Lorna Lee; his brother, Donald Poe; and his sons Richard Poe and Ronald Poe.
A private burial will take place on South Bass Island later this summer, and a celebration of life will be held in his honor.