Gary Dean Surbaugh, age 68, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, at his home in Clam Falls, WI. Gary was a loving husband, beloved father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend who will be dearly missed by all who knew him. Gary was born on May 11, 1952, in Leon, IA, to John and Roberta (Jamison) Surbaugh. At that time the family lived in a small house on his grandparents farm in southern Iowa. The family soon moved to their farmstead in Wisconsin on the Knapp Creek in Clam Falls, where Gary spent his childhood exploring the woods and creek bottoms around their farm. Part of each summer was spent on his grandparent’s and uncle’s farms in Iowa. Gary was independent and ambitious from an early age. He started his first business venture at a young age, growing cucumbers for the pickle factory in Milltown. Gary never stopped working. As he grew, he helped his father run the Hideaway Hills Ski Hill in the winter and worked for area farmers during the summer. Later he ran bulldozer for Surbaugh Construction. As a young man he supplemented his income by trapping, coon hunting and raising Ginseng. Gary graduated from Frederic High School in 1970 and attended UW Eau Claire for one year. He was married to Kris Karl of Lewis, Wisconsin on February 1, 1975. Gary and Kris purchased the Surbaugh family farm in October, 1979. He worked as a heavy equipment operator in road construction for thirty five years. He worked as the Clam Falls graderman from 1991-1997, starting two days before the Halloween Blizzard of 1991. He and Kris raised four children and developed a working farm. Gary was gifted with all things mechanical and could see his way around any piece of machinery that needed mending. He was known for his excellent work ethic. Every summer he would work long hours each week on a construction crew and each weekend on the farm. Gary spent many winters logging timber and harvesting firewood off the farm. Gary also loved animals and raised grass-fed beef cattle, chickens, and turkeys. Gary was an avid gardener and was able to devote more time to his gardens in his retirement. He spent hours every summer growing vegetables and creating an orchard by planting apple and cherry trees. In recent years, family members would gather to press apples and enjoy the fruit of Gary’s labor. In his spare time he like fishing, especially trout fishing. Gary loved to hunt and never missed a deer season. He enjoyed not only the hunt but also the camaraderie of family and friends at the camp. In addition to hunting around the farm, many seasons were spent at the Karl and Kettula hunting shacks in Dairyland. There was also whitetail hunting in Michigan, elk, deer and antelope hunting in Wyoming and moose hunting in Alaska. Gary passed his love of hunting on to each of his children and they continue to gather on the farm each season to hunt. Gary was proud of his family and loved nothing better than spending time with them. Favorite family trips were to the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, out west to hike, fish and hunt, and to Florida. Gary loved stories. He was a voracious reader and always had several books going at once. Not only was he an enthusiastic listener, but also a gifted storyteller. He was well-known for his ability to inject humor, action and drama into the tales of his life. Gary will forever be remembered for his good nature and great laugh. Gary was well loved and will be deeply missed. His family will remember him as a skilled mechanic, excellent hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman, loving husband and father, good friend and neighbor, faithful Packers fan, and all-around good guy. Gary Surbaugh is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Kris; daughter, Hilde (Steve) Perala of Hermantown, MN and grandchildren, Graham and Iris; son, Aaron of Travis AFB, California; daughter Kerri (Philip) Myers of Tampa, Florida; son, Ethan (Nicole Zappatelo) of Portland, Oregon; and his brothers and sisters: Randy (Barb) of Frederic, WI; Peggy (Meredith) Frederic, WI; Kathy, Frederic, WI; and Ken (Kim) of Golden Valley, MN. Gary was preceded in death by his parents, John and Roberta and step-mother Sally Surbaugh. Due to the current circumstances, a memorial will be postponed until it is safe to gather. Gary's family hopes to hold a celebration of life in 2021. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local library or in his name to the Frederic Public Library, 127 Oak St E, Frederic, WI 54837.