This world lost a kind, generous and loving soul when Gary Allen Cole passed away on October 27, 2025, after bravely fighting a recurring battle with throat cancer. He is survived by his loving wife, Bridget, beloved sister, Sherry and several nieces and nephews.

Gary was born in Oceanside, CA on July 17, 1958. He lived his early life in Napa, CA, Manitou Springs, CO, Manton, MI and Hastings, MN, where he graduated from high school in 1976. From there he followed in the footsteps of his Dad and joined the Navy and volunteered to serve on submarines, which became his life’s passion. He served with honor and distinction and ascended to rank of Chief Petty Officer and was a Storekeeper on subs while at sea, while serving shore duty, he did stints in the Seabees in Kansas City, MO and taught as an instructor at NAS Meridian where he trained new storekeepers to serve on submarines around the world. Gary was stationed many places over his twenty-two-year career in the Navy, such as Groton, CT, Kings Bay, GA, Meridian MS and Bremerton, WA. The highlights of his travels for his career were visiting Pompei, Italy and Tromso, Norway. He loved visiting Norway and was in the process of learning Norwegian that he diligently practiced each day.

Gary retired from the Navy in 1998 and started a second career as an owner operator over the road truck driver. He met Bridget the day after Thanksgiving, 2001 after she expressed an interest in learning to drive a truck to “see the country” to a mutual friend. The friend helped them connect and suggested Bridget ride along with Gary to see how she liked the lifestyle before committing to truck driver training school. It must have been love at first sight, they came home three weeks later to be married in Maggie Valley, NC on December 22, 2001.

Gary and Bridget team drove over the road for several years and had many great adventures along the way. Taking a break from driving when they were in interesting places in WA, CA, NV, CO, NM, and AZ, often parking the truck and trailer and renting a car to see the sights. Favorite memories they shared were driving up the California coast on Hwy 101 for two weeks and Gary surprising Bridget by going to the Kentucky Derby on Bridget’s birthday one year.

After several years of driving together, making wonderful memories together and visiting every state in the contiguous US, they sold the truck and found a new passion in fixing up vintage travel trailers and old houses. They shared a love for old things and working to bring new life to them. They made their homes in Thomas, OK and Ontonagon, (Upper Peninsula), MI before finding their “forever hometown” and buying and moving into the Rudolph house in Wimbledon, ND in 2022. A phrase they often repeated to one another while on their many travels was “Home is where my sweetheart is”. Now Gary has gone on ahead of Bridget to make his home in Heaven and will be terribly missed by all who dearly loved him.

A Mass in Celebration of Gary’s life will be held at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Wimbledon at 10:30 AM, Friday, November 21, 2025, followed by military honors.  The service will be live streamed, then archived, on a link provided along with his obituary on his tribute page at www.lerudmathias.com.  An online guestbook is available there as well.