Gary Tyrone Kess Sr.

Gary Tyrone Kess, affectionately known as GTK was born September 28,1954 in Baltimore, Maryland to the late Conrad and Pauline Kess. As a small child Gary was raised in a Baptist church. He was the eighth of nine children. Gary was granted his angel wings on August 5, 2020, with family and love ones by his side. As a young man, he met and married Maria Reynolds. From this union two children were born, Thea Kess (Baker) and Gary Kess, Jr. He was a proud father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was family oriented and took pride in spending time with his children and Gary was known to his grandkids, as "Popgary". He had a special bond with each of them. Gary was educated in Baltimore City Public School System. He had a diverse work background . He started his work career at Springfield Hospital, Coca-Cola, and Hauswald Bakery, before settling in a position with the City of Baltimore and retired after 20 + years of service. Gary started collecting and thus began a lifetime collecting all types of cars. He inherited his passion for cars from his father Conrad. And his love for cars passed down to his son, Gary Jr. Not only did Gary love collecting cars, he knew how to repair cars as well. In fact, he drove a blue Chevrolet Camaro as a teenager, courtesy of his parents. He owned many sport cars over the years. His 1978 Toyota Celica and 1988 GT 5.0 Mustang were his favorites. In addition, Gary loved motorcycle riding. He owned a Kawasaki 750 in the 1970's. At the age of twenty-two, he began amateur kickboxing with the guidance of his older brother Gerald, specializing in Taekwondo. Gary enjoyed watching NASCAR, westerns, boxing, and mixed-martial arts. He had many talents, drawing being one of them. Gary enjoyed drawing cartoon characters in his spare time. Gary was highly known for having great fashion. He took fashions cues from no one. He never stuck to the rules when it came to fashion. He would take a fashion trend and make it his own with matching hat and shoes. He had a collection of sneakers in every style and every color. All his hats had his "GTK" logo on the side. Gary was one of a kind. He always found humor in every situation and would spark up conversation with anyone. People loved being around him because he spoke his mind and was very funny. Some will say Gary was a storyteller because he had a story to tell for everything. His beloved mother, father, and brothers Thomas, Wayne, Larry, Gerald, and Gregory preceded him in death. He leaves to cherish his memory: one daughter Thea Kess Baker; one son, Gary Kess Jr., son-in-law Michael Baker; three sisters, Linda, Barbara, and Betty. Ex Wife, Maria; four grandsons, Trent, Taylor, Taj, and Michael and five granddaughters, Michale, Maria, Makala, Malia, Makenzie, and Morgan. Four great-grandchildren, Malaysia, Maziya, Nasir, and Tourie, long-time girlfriend Teresa, best friend Edward Griffin, cousins, Donald, Gerald, Regnell, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Tributes

Gary Tyrone Kess Sr.

September 28, 1954 - August 5, 2020