Gary Stovall

Gary Stovall, of Gary Stovall Roofing as most people know him, was a loyal Fallbrook citizen since 1972. Determined to have Fallbrook his home and resting place, he built a nice three bedroom home on 1.5 acres they purchased by selling their home in Tustin, Orange County. Finding horse property was key, as wife Mary Lu was an avid horse girl, winning award after award showing their horse “Baby Doll.”

Ribbons and trophies lined the living room as they continued to show this town their dedication to the country life. Attending every parade, avocado festival, or other Local Events came without saying. Buying Fallbrook tee-shirts from Port’s, western wear from The Westerner, shopping at Harrison’s Rexall, eating at Fallbrook Pizza, Valley Fort, Richardson’s drive in, The Garden Center Cafe, Vince’s Italian, Dominic’s Delicatessen (duh!!!), etc, they were as much a part of Fallbrook as Fallbrook gets.

He was loyal to businesses he felt gave quality service, and always went back to support local Fallbrook businesses. (Including Scrappy’s Tire, Fallbrook Oil, George Robbins Mobile Mechanic, Allen Miller Cabinets, Art Smith Electric, and the list goes on and on...) Gary wasn’t the cheapest roofer in town, not by a long shot. His dedication to quality, doubling up on paper, going the extra mile, cost him many jobs to the fly-by-night roofers who came to town over the years. He did however, gain the respect and business from some of the top contractors in town: Mike Pierce, Tom Lowe, and Scott Youngren, just to name a few. (Sorry to the dozens of those not mentioned, you all were huge to his life and very much appreciated).

He also had dignity in relationship to his qualified competition, nodding his head to bids from Guy Piquelle (Fallbrook Roofing) and others who he felt would do a great job much in the way he would. His demand for quality superseded winning a bid over a couple of hundred dollars. He wasn’t afraid to tell people they were in good hands even at the cost of losing the bid. Fallbrook responded to his professionalism and quality, and his portfolio includes places like the Grand Tradition, Pala Mission and School (carefully removing the handmade, sacred adobe tiles, and replacing them after repairs were made), Pala Community Center, countless homes in Rolling Hills, Bonsall, Fallbrook, Vista, Temecula, and beyond.

He loved his family and spending time with kids and grandkids at the Colorado River, Parker, Ariz. He loved to visit casinos in Laughlin, Parker, Ariz., and locally, from time to time, having four or five people pulling handles at the same time, in a row, maximum bets on dollar slot machines. Of course, whatever someone hit would be their winnings, that is just the way he was. He was a kind, generous man, with a lot of friends and zero enemies.

He loved being a conservative, owning guns, and displaying the NRA stickers on his trucks. He donated to almost every charity, from the American Heart Association, to VFW, Easter Seals, and on and on. He was never in the military due to minor physical limitations, but he was a huge supporter of our troops, and those wounded in action. He displayed our Red, White, and Blue, proudly, every day, having a dozen or more new-and-ready flags on standby.

Gary was told by the cardiologist team at Sharp Memorial in San Diego, that he had less than 20 percent chance of surviving one more year, with the defibrillator they installed after open heart surgery. (Told that on January 16th, 1991). Twenty-four years and probably nine defibrillators later, his weak heart finally gave up. Two months prior, hospice was called in to visit him, and he swiftly and sternly scolded them and sent them away, saying “I’m not done trying yet!” Proof of his will to live, his love for life, and his desire to be with friends and family. We will all miss him so very much. I love you dad!

Gary Stovall, 1940-2015, is survived by his wife’s two children, four grandchildren, and his two brothers and their families.

A life celebration will be held at the Grand Tradition for close family and friends, Friday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. A graveside memorial service will be held at the Masonic Cemetery, Saturday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m.