Gary Frederick Lydic

Gary Lydic loved the Lord, his family, and basketball. Woven through all three was his love for people and his way of making everyone he met feel like they mattered. 

Enthusiastic by nature, Gary gave almost everything “150 percent,” and much of that joy was poured into other people. A lifelong encourager who never met a stranger, he lived with a servant’s heart, never hesitating when he saw a need he could meet. On September 4, 2026, Gary Frederick Lydic, 78, left his home in Jackson, Tennessee, for a pickup basketball game in heaven, where he was greeted with an affirming, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Born March 6, 1948, in Dayton, Ohio, to Paul and Marilyn Lydic, Gary grew up in nearby Oakwood with his older sister, Lynda. It was there that basketball became part of his story. He played throughout his youth and continued as a player-coach at McPherson College in Kansas. His lifelong passion for the sport would impact many lives for decades to come. After graduating in 1970, Gary made his way to Walt Disney World in Florida, where he spent 12 years in various operational and management roles, including helping prepare for the opening of EPCOT. But of everything those years brought into his life, nothing mattered more than meeting Disney Tour Guide Debi Radford. 

In 1977, Gary and Debi married and began a partnership that would span nearly five decades, several moves and, eventually, the opportunity to serve others side by side. Through it all, Gary affectionately called her “his bride.” 

Gary’s career eventually took the family of four to California, where pickup basketball with Dr. James Dobson led to a position with the then-young Focus on the Family. There, Gary established the personnel department and helped build the organization during a period of tremendous growth, hiring hundreds of people as Focus rapidly expanded. 

Soon after, Dr. Dobson asked Gary to bring in basketball legend Pete Maravich, who was coming to the studios to record a broadcast. The two connected quickly over their fathers’ experiences with bone cancer. Later that same morning, while playing a pickup basketball game with Gary and Dr. Dobson, Pistol Pete collapsed and died at the age of 40.To honor Pistol Pete, Gary helped create and lead Focus on the Family’s basketball camps for girls and boys from single-parent homes, combining the game he loved with his desire to encourage young people of all skill levels and share his faith. What began with one camp grew into camps across the country, reaching thousands of children over the next seven years. Because in Gary’s world, no one belonged on the sidelines.

That desire to encourage and serve others followed him throughout his life and work, expanding into ministry with pastors, families, and basketball coaches. After Focus, he joined America’s Family Coaches in Des Moines, Iowa, as the Vice President of Friend-raising. Then, in 2015, Gary and Debi began Onward and Upward Ministries, giving them the opportunity to spend years coaching engaged and married couples together. But above all, Gary’s most important ministry was his family. From playing catch with Trevor and Brent in the front yard to Saturday pizza nights, Gary was dedicated to spending time with them. He rarely missed their games or school events. Gary continued showing up on the court sidelines when Trevor became a coach. When Brent announced at four years old that he was going to be an actor, Gary supported that dream all the way to California and remained one of his biggest fans. Through every season, Gary was his sons’ greatest cheerleader and prayed for them every day.

When his three grandchildren came along, they received that same kind of love, along with the ready smile, hugs, and “I love you” so many others knew well. Family, friends, casual acquaintances, or even strangers found Gary ending each interaction with the same familiar words: “Love ya.”

Gary spent his life encouraging people, showing up for them, and pointing them toward the personal relationship with Jesus that guided his own life. And when it came to eternity, Gary had two words that summed up his hope that those he encountered would one day meet again: Be there.

Gary is survived by his bride of 49 years, Debi; his sons, Trevor and his wife, Kayce, of Jackson, Tennessee, and Brent and his wife, Rachel, of El Segundo, California; his grandchildren, Cole, Easton, and Natalie; his sister, Lynda Wilcox of Dayton, Ohio; and beloved nieces and cousins

. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Marilyn Lydic.A celebration of Gary’s life will be held October 24 at Valley Church in West Des Moines, Iowa. 

A visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. and a luncheon. A private family celebration will also be held at a later date in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. In Gary's memory, the family invites donations to Compassion International (compassion.com/garylydic (https://www.compassion.com/garylydic/); 12290 Voyager Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80921; EIN: 36-2423707) or Fellowship of Christian Athletes (fca.org (https://www.fca.org/donate/other-ways-to-give); 8701 Leeds Rd, Kansas City, MO 64129; EIN: 44-0610626).