Dear Friends of Gary:
It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that our colleague and friend Gary Thomas passed away unexpectedly and peacefully while on vacation in Italy with his life partner Bob and Bob’s nephew.
Here’s how Gary described himself in his blog:
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| Gary Thomas |
If you read the blog, you know that Gary was funny, witty, brutally honest but never cruel, principled, informative and entertaining. Gary worked tirelessly on writing, gathering information, taking new and collecting historic pictures and then putting it all together so we could enjoy his blog and learn something at the same time.
Gary came to work at Preferred Properties in 2008. The country was in a serious recession and many people were holding on tight to their funds and reluctant to buy real estate. It seems obvious that people should buy low and sell high but people tend to do the opposite. Gary saw opportunity in the market dip and helped many people make wise investments. I think people appreciated Gary’s insight and guidance about our market.
Gary kept very busy even in the lean times. He was very humble and never boasted about his achievements. I’m glad I had the chance to thank Gary for all he did for the company and me as well. He was an understated powerhouse of market knowledge and motivation. He made things happen. Gary brushed off compliments and gratitude but he was a huge part of our success and I’m grateful to him.
Gary cared about the people he worked with. It was never just about a sale for Gary. He wouldn’t hesitate to tell people if he thought the price was too high or the property wasn’t right for them. He shared his knowledge and expertise freely with the people he worked with and other agents as well. Gary’s honesty was genuine and his ethics unwavering. I was so proud to work with Gary.
When Gary started his blog, it was a relatively new media. His blog was met with a fair amount of resistance in our industry. Over the years Gary’s blog gained popularity and followers. Agents began asking Gary to feature their listings on his blog. Gary was generous with his time and talent and usually agreed. He would often go to the property and take his own pictures and do a write up on the blog.
Gary was often in his office earlier than anyone else working furiously on a transaction or something pressing. Gary was serious about his profession and worked all the time. Gary loved all things real estate and I believe he enjoyed his life as a Realtor. He was very skilled at handling complex transactions and was relentless in bringing about positive results. People who worked with Gary were well served. Whatever he was working on Gary put in one hundred percent effort.
Gary had a big heart. He was generous with his time and knowledge and available to give guidance to fellow agents who sought him out. People have told me stories about Gary and his kindness towards them over the years. Gary wasn’t boastful, he was kind behind the scenes when no one was looking. Gary kept confidences and was a good listener and a good and loyal friend. We were lucky to have Gary in our lives.
On behalf of all of us at Preferred Properties, I offer our deepest condolences on the loss of Gary to his life partner Bob, Bob’s nephew and family, to his many friends, his blog followers, clients and customers, colleagues, associates, his extended Key West “family”, and the many people whose lives Gary touched.
Gary will be missed.
With love,
Laurie
