Gary Maurice Holland

Gary Maurice Holland, 71, passed away at home on Friday, March 17, 2023. He was born to Ruby Loyd and Aubrey Holland on April 15, 1951 in Mansfield, TX. Growing up on a working farm in rural Mansfield, he learned at an early age what a long day of hard work was like and carried that throughout his life. Being raised on a farm meant he learned how to do many things himself, including repairing farm equipment, building fences and barns, growing crops, and caring for livestock. He became quite the handyman and there was very little he couldn’t build or repair himself.
Gary graduated from Mansfield High School where he was a member of the FFA before earning his college degree from The University of Texas at Arlington. He worked various jobs, including at Kowbell Rodeo, warehouse work, and countertop and bathtub refinishing. After a few years of perfecting his craft, he opened his own business refinishing countertops and continued that until retirement. Although he was “retired”, his daughter Rachel convinced him that they needed to start up a petting zoo business. His lifetime of living on a farm came in handy when it was time to build barns and shelters for the various animals, design and fabricate portable pens, and customize the trailer to accommodate all the animals and equipment. Of all the jobs he had, this was his favorite because it not only enabled him to put his skills to work, he was also able to spend time with his kids.
His favorite hobbies included playing cards, dominoes, and board games with his kids, and you could always find him down at the American Legion for Thursday poker. He casually took up oil painting after discovering Bob Ross and continued to create landscape-style paintings as long as he was able.
Spending time with his kids was his ultimate joy and there was nothing that they could throw at him that he wasn’t up for. You could always count on him to be there, whether it was a preschool music program, a cattle show at the fair, driving to pick up another random animal, watch his kids ride in a parade, or even attend a chihuahua race. If you asked him to be there, he was there. He may not have been on time, but he was always there without fail.
Gary is preceded in death by his parents Ruby and Aubrey Holland, son Aubrey Holland, and brothers Loyd Holland and Jim Holland.
He is survived by his daughters Rachel Smith, Scarlet Johnson and husband T.J., and Miriam Farmer and husband Joey; his grandchildren Kendall Smith, Reagan Smith, Eli Johnson, Jarett Farmer, and Emerson Farmer.