Garry Don Stephens

Garry Don Stephens was born in Houston, Texas, on October 6, 1947, the eldest child of Elmo Garrett Stephens (aka Steve) and Margaret Zellah Stutts Stephens. He grew up in Keene, Texas, with his parents and siblings and helped his father in the family's sign business. Discontent with small town life, Garry voluntarily joined the army in January 1967 and became a medic at the Tokyo hospital during the Vietnam War. He re-upped in July 1971 and worked as a medic at an Army hospital in Korea. He married Haruko Nakajima on February 27, 1969, in Japan. The couple had one son: Andrew James Stephens. After his Army service was complete, Garry made his way to Amarillo, Texas, where he met Sandra Prescott of Quanah, Texas. The couple married on July 19, 1975, in Quanah, Texas, and had two daughters: Bethany Shannon Stephens of Quanah, Texas, and Charity Anne Lehmann of Williamsburg, Virginia. Garry worked as a welder and sign maker. His favorite saying was, "Illegitimi non carborundum est." Garry then married Cuc Phan of Garland, Texas, on June 19, 2006. The couple had no children, but moved to Vietnam in 2012, where Garry taught English to elementary aged children and tended to his chickens. Garry returned to Texas on March 9, 2022, sick with a massive stage 3 tumor that had collapsed his lung. He remained in Dallas, Texas, being cared for by his loving wife, eldest daughter, and niece until he passed away on July 10, 2022, at 8:06pm at Faith Presbyterian Hospice while surrounded by his loving wife Cuc, his daughters Bethany and Charity, and his niece Truc.

Garry is survived by wife Cuc Phan; son Andrew James Stephens of Japan; daughter Bethany Shannon Stephens of Quanah, Texas; daughter Charity Anne Lehmann, son-in-law Chad Michael Lehmann, and grandchildren Tobias Prescott Lehmann, Mateo Jeremiah Lehmann, Beatrice Grace Lehmann, and Felicity Jane Lehmann all of Virgina; siblings Kenneth Stephens of Texas and Linda Stephens Bray, Keith Stephens, and Brian Stephens, all of California; and several nieces and nephews. Garry is preceded in death by his parents Elmo Garrett Stephens and Margaret Zellah Stutts Stephens and grandparents.