Gary Wayne Keadle

GARY WAYNE KEADLE left us much too soon on July 2, 2016. Gary was born on Aug. 5, 1958 in Long Beach, Calif., to the late William Ray and Alice Louise Keadle. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, James Ray Keadle and his sister, Karen LaDonne Keadle Hall. He was a graduate of Glenwood High School and the University of Arkansas. Surviving to tell his story are his sister, Debra Ann Keadle Cowart and husband, Butch Larry Cowart of Glenwood, Ark.; his brother, William Edward Keadle of Little Rock, Ark.; his nephews, Michael Ray Cowart and Christopher Mark Cowart of Rogers, Ark., and his nieces, Jennifer Louise Hall of Klamath Falls, Ore., and Courtney Paige Keadle of Hot Springs, Ark. Gary was a tax manager for the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, where he worked for over thirty years. He was a valued asset at work, and his innovative and commonsense approach to tax processing, problem solving and customer service will be the gold standard to which all government employees should aspire. Gary's professional accomplishments are impressive; however, what sets him apart is the way he conducted himself as a human being. Underneath a sometimes grumpy exterior beat a heart of gold. He was generous to a fault - if you needed his help, he would give you the shirt off his back and then go to his closet to get you another shirt just to be sure. His generosity was not always reciprocated, but that never stopped him from making the effort. He was intelligent, witty and entertaining, and he will be missed by many. There are no words to express the appreciation of Gary's family for the assistance and professionalism of the countless doctors and nurses at St. Vincent Hospital in Little Rock who treated Gary during his short but hard fought battle against brain cancer. The staff of the St. Vincent Emergency Room, CCU, NSICU, MICU and Rehab Center; the staff at Woodland Hills Rehab; and the staff at CARTI displayed a level of kindness and compassion to Gary that will not be forgotten. While there will be no formal funeral for Gary (he wouldn't want one), there will be a short graveside service for him on Thursday July 7, 2016 at 10 a.m. at the Glenwood Cemetery, Third Street and Highway 70, Glenwood, Ark. This will be a casual ceremony, so no suits, ties, or formal dresses are needed (he wouldn't want that, either). In lieu of flowers, Gary would want you to make a donation in his name to the charity of your choice, or just buy yourself something nice. Guest registry is at www.davis-smith.com.