Gary R Ellinger, age 79, passed away peacefully on October 23, 2025 in his Sheboygan home. With the kind help and support of Preceptor Hospice, his sons cared for him in his final year of life. Gary was a devoted husband to his wife of 49 years, Regina K (Buschmann) Ellinger, and a terrific role model and father to his two sons, Anthony and Steven. He is survived by his sons Anthony and Steven and by the families of his siblings, Mark Ellinger and Faye (Ellinger) Wieser.
Gary was born on October 22, 1946, to the late Meta (Berger) and Roy W Ellinger. He loved animals, and was particularly fond of his childhood cat, Calabash, who waited for him everyday after school and accompanied him on many adventures. He loved cars and mechanical things. He had a collection of models from his youth, and later in life he would collect 1:18th scale cars, monster trucks, and HotWheels.
Due to the Vietnam War, Gary was drafted into the U.S. Army in December of 1965. He completed his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He became part of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, and was stationed for a time in Babenhausen, Germany. He worked with howitzers, and drove tanks and half tracks. Gary would joke that his favorite part of the military was KP Duty, where he made friends with the chefs and ate well. He was discharged in December of 1967.
On June 8th of 1974, he would get married to the love of his life, Regina. He was a dependable, trustworthy, hardworking, caring man that did everything he could to see his family didn’t go without. He worked steadily at Kohler Company for 41 years. Much of his time as a young married man was spent improving his home for his young family.
Gary gave his family a great life full of memories around camping, playing cards, and cooking on the grill. Some of our best days were in the summertime. He enjoyed “grilling out,” cooking steaks and baked potatoes, chicken, and bratwurst for his family. Regina would prepare salads, potatoes and rolls and keep an eye on her sons. The Ellingers would often play cards into the evening and complain about the mosquitoes. He taught his son Steven how to cook on the grill, and Steven cooked his last meal- a bratwurst, his favorite.
Christmas was his favorite time of year. Gary and Regina made Christmas a magical time for their children by playing Christmas music, overly-decorating their tree, and placing many lights and decorations throughout the home. They gave their sons special moments that stick with them to this day.
Gary loved the TV show Home Improvement and was a big Packers Fan. He would enjoy watching any Wisconsin sports team- like the Badgers, Brewers, and Bucks- but it was all to tide him over until football season to see how well the Packers would do. He also loved to watch golf and bowling, and bowled for many years with his wife in couples league. Their enjoyment of bowling passed down to their sons.
The family would like to thank the amazing staff at Preceptor Hospice for all the care, compassion, and support they gave Gary and his family. Gary truly looked forward to their visits. Their training allowed his sons to care for him so he could stay in his own home until the end.
A Memorial Service for Gary will take place at NOON on Friday, November 7, 2025, at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 6706 Superior Ave. in Kohler with military honors to follow.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit www.ballhornchapels.com
Comments