WESSINGTON SPRINGS –– Gary Reff, age 61 of Wessington Springs and formerly of Huron, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, June 23, 2025, at his home in Wessington Springs.
A Celebration of Gary’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m., on Tuesday, July 1, at Huron Christian Church in Huron. Memorial visitation, with his family present, will be from 5 to 7 p.m., on Monday, June 30, at Welter Funeral Home; or one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday morning. There will be no graveside or burial at this time.
Condolences may be sent to the Reff Family at 437 Montana Ave SW, Huron, SD 57350.
Gary was born on April 21, 1964, to Neil & JoAnn (Knutson) Reff in Garrison, N.D. Due to his father’s enrollment in the National Guard the family lived briefly in Wamego, Kan., and Ft. Belvoir, Va., before settling in Wessington Springs, where Gary grew up and graduated HS in 1983. It was in the halls of “Springs” grade school where he would meet his greatest love, his “partner-in-crime,” Debora Schimke. While the odds of grade school sweethearts making it past high school are not high, Gary and Deb did just that. They were married on July 14, 1984, and just 3 short weeks from celebrating their 41st anniversary. To their union Gary and Deb were blessed with 4 children: Ashley, Bryon, Christian and Daniel.
Over the years, Gary and Deb lived in Wessington Springs, Watertown, and finally Huron, where they lived most of their married life. In Huron, Gary had short stints working at Beadle County Jail, Our Home, Adjustment Training Center, and finally Community Counseling Services where he worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor. This is where Gary found his true calling, helping those who struggled with addiction. Gary served 11 years (12/23/81 – 5/28/92) with the Army National Guard, 153rd Engineer Battalion, 1st Class Staff Sergeant, before he was Honorably Discharged. Gary also achieved a bachelor’s degree via online classes during this time.
In December 2018, Deb was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Due to her advanced stage at diagnosis, Gary left his career a few months later so he could dedicate all his attention to his “Punkin.” In 2023 Gary decided to relocate back to Wessington Springs, where he felt the peace and tranquility of our little town would be better for his Punkin. The care Gary gave Deb as she has transitioned through her illness (recently reclassified as Lewy Body Dementia), was selfless, gentle, and the purest and most genuine form of love. His love and devotion to her can only be compared to his love and devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It would be almost impossible to know Gary, and not like Gary. We experience trials in life, but how we handle those trials is a display of our true character. While not a perfect man, Gary tackled everything with faith. Faith in his family. Faith in his heart. And most of all faith in his God. Gary found the good in every person. He forgave. He trusted. He was genuine and sincere. And let’s not forget about that laugh, sense of humor, and the smile that lit up a room.
He delighted in spending time with his kids, his dad, and his siblings – and the pride he had for them was apparent in every story. Gary was an avid fisherman, artist (painting and fish taxidermy), cat dad, proud homeowner and remodeler, and user of so many terms of endearment. The people he loved were his “Peeps,” “Peanuts,” and “Punkins.” He delighted in shining a light o his shenanigans and his frequent bouts of clumsiness that inevitably resulted with a bonk, bruise, or cut on his “noggin.” His patience in trusting the process when things were hard made every worry fade away. He was a comfort, a rock, a shoulder to lean on, and the best listener. A wonderful Son, Brother, Husband, Uncle, DAD, and messenger of God. While we mourn the loss of Gary, we rejoice in the opportunity to love him in this life. His final moments were the epitome of the perfect “Irish Goodbye.” We know he is smiling at that now.
Gary is survived by his wife, Deb, children: Ashley, Bryon, Christian (Mikayla) Reff of Huron, Daniel (Susan) Reff of Brookings; Father, Neil Reff and sister, Sharyl (Doug) Burmeister, of Mitchell; Brother, Ron Reff of Aberdeen; Sisters/Brothers-in-law: Donna Wagner (Lonnie Fischer) of Wessington Springs, Dawn (Kevin) Morris of Watertown, Lee Schimke (Nichole Sweet) of Rapid City; and numerous nieces and nephews.
There to greet Gary in his eternal resting place: Mother, JoAnn Reff; Brother, David Reff; Niece, Angela Reichenberg; and his mother and father-in-law Audrey and Terry Schimke.
