Gary L. Scritsmier, 76, of North Platte, passed away June 28, 2019 at Great Plains Health.
Services will be held at 10:00 Wednesday, July 3, at the First Baptist Church in North Platte with the Rev. Clint Walker officiating. A short service will follow at 2:00 at Lillian Church of Christ, north of Broken Bow. Burial will be at the Lillian Cemetery. Visitation with family receiving friends will be from 5:00 – 7:00 Tuesday, July 2nd at Carpenter Memorial Chapel. Online condolences may be shared at carpentermemorial.com.
He was born October 7, 1942 to Alphe and Beulah Myers Scritsmier on the farm near Lillian north of Broken Bow. He attended school in Broken Bow and graduated from Broken Bow Highschool in 1960. Gary obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) in 1964 and his law degree from UNL in 1967. He became a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association in 1967. He spent most of his time practicing in the Federal Courts primarily in the area of litigation, including insurance defense, commercial litigation and some environmental law. Later in his career, he also worked with the Central Mediation Center.
On November 24, 1961, Gary married Coralee Gunther. Together they had a son and two daughters.
On March 17, 1984 Gary married Sharlyn Young.
Gary’s career included working at various law firms, including Maupin, Dent, Kay & Satterfield; Scritsmier, Romatzke & Byrne; and Kelley, Scritsmier, & Byrne.
Gary served as the Chair of the Advertising and Specialization Committee and on the Insurance Committee for the Nebraska State Bar Association. He also served a four-year term on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Nebraska Supreme Courts 6th District.
Throughout his life, Gary was involved in many activities: The Nebraskaland Days Board of Directors, North Platte Community Playhouse, NP Optimists, Heartland Singers, First Baptist Church, First Baptist Living Christmas Tree, Broken Bow Community Playhouse, One Box Trap Shoot Team, Broken Bow Methodist Church, Nebraska Parkinson’s Support Group, and the Trial By Jury program at the Nebraska State Fair. Gary was inducted into the Broken Bow High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Gary was passionate about hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking in the mountains of Colorado, snow skiing, horseback riding, playing tennis, traveling around the world, and telling jokes and stories.
He was preceded in death by his parents Al and Beulah Scritsmier, sister Mary Gwen Scritsmier, and brother-in-law Duane Wright.
Survivors include his children, Shelly (Jay) Penner, Jeff (Kirsten) Scritsmier, and Lynne (Gregg) Lange. Grandchildren Chelsey (Ryan Heavican) Jungck, Kelynne (Drew) Hartley, and Jonathan (Lauren) Jungck, Ashton Lange and Colin Lange. Great grandchildren Hendrik Hartley, Colson Jungck. Sisters Carol Wright and Jean (Ross) Armstrong. Many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Memorials are suggested to the Lilian Church of Christ in Broken Bow, NE and the Parkinson’s Disease Research & Education Fund at UNMC.
