Gary Allen Schultheis

GARY ALLEN SCHULTHEIS, age 73, of Washington CH, passed away on Wednesday morning, May 3, 2023 at Four Seasons of Washington Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Washington CH.

Gary was born January 2, 1950 to the late Harry B. and Eleanor Smith Schultheis in San Fernando, California. After graduating from Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California, Gary attended Southern Oregon College, where he studied literature.

From an early age, Gary exhibited a sense of adventure and wanderlust, and a deep love for the outdoors. As a child, he fell in love with hiking California’s High Sierra mountains. In 1969, he bicycled the twisting and turning roads from Woodland Hills, California to Ashland, Oregon, a distance of nearly 700 miles, to explore the western coast of the United States. That wanderlust took him across the country early in life, first to Pittsburgh and then to Wilmington, Ohio, where he married Nancy, his wife of 52 years. He and Nancy stayed close to Wilmington, raising four children in Clinton County. Gary held numerous jobs throughout his working life, with such organizations as the Clinton County Department of Developmental Disabilities; the Greene County Department of Developmental Disabilities; the Ahresty Wilmington, where he was the director of safety; and, in his later years, he was employed at Lowe’s in Hillsboro.

Though Gary planted strong roots in Ohio, his sense of exploration and love of the outdoors never left him. Gary was an avid fisherman, gardener, and bird watcher throughout his life. His true passion, however, was painting. Gary moonlighted as a professional artist, and he leaves behind numerous screen prints and landscapes inspired by his love of nature. He loved to write poetry, musing on the natural world and his place in the universe. Gary took immense joy in the act of creation, especially when those creations were for his children and grandchildren. He loved tinkering with wood, and leaves behind numerous ingenious wooden toys he created over the years. Visits to Gary and Nancy’s house often ended with Gary sitting on the floor of the living room, acoustic guitar in hand, whipping up an impromptu song about whatever grandchild was visiting at the time. Gary would often say goodbye with one of his favorite expressions, imploring his children to “keep on keeping on,” something Gary continued to do throughout the many twists and turns of his life.

Survivors include his four children, Katherine Jean (Aaron) Teter of New Holland, Patricia Hope (Ryan) Kelley of Syracuse, New York, Zack Adam Schultheis and his partner Lauren Ketcham of New Lexington, Ohio, and Joseph Brendon Schultheis (Chelsie) of New Lexington, Ohio; six grandchildren, Owen Teter, Reagan Schultheis, Annabel Teter, Nolan Schultheis, Wyatt Kelley, and Dylan Schultheis; three siblings, Nancy (Schultheis) Callahan of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; James “Jim” Schultheis of Deland, Florida; Stephen Schultheis of Laguna Hills, California; sister-in-law Marilyn of Laguna Hills, California; and Gary’s lifelong friend, Jim Delph, of Fairborn, Ohio.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents; brother-in-law, Bill Callahan of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and sister-in-law, Pamela Schultheis of Deland, Florida.

Gary’s family would like to thank the staff, nurses, and chaplains of ProMedica Hospice in Circleville and the Four Seasons of Washington, and all the kind people who cared for Gary during the last year of his life.

In keeping with Gary’s wishes, there will be no public services or visitation. In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the National Parkinson's Foundation or ProMedica Hospice Serving Central Ohio.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Summers Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to www.summersfuneralhome.com

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