Memorial Day Reflections: Honoring Gary Sims: Veteran, Founder, Force of Nature

Memorial Day invites us to reflect on service, not just in the military sense, but in the many ways people dedicate their lives to something bigger than themselves. For us at Sims Tree Health Specialists, Inc., this year we pause with full hearts as we remember Gary Sims: veteran, co-founder, father of our family business, and the driving force behind so much of who we are.

You may have noticed Gary wasn’t mentioned in our recent article, “Meet the Tree Amigos.” That was intentional. We wanted to wait and dedicate a separate space for him, one that matched the significance of his legacy. Memorial Day felt right. Gary was a veteran, and his service didn’t stop when he came home. It simply shifted into building a business rooted in purpose, education, and integrity.

Gary had a presence. You felt it when he walked into a room. He was sharp, full of opinions, and guided by a clear internal compass. Gary had a method to everything, one shaped by decades of experience and fieldwork. Whether it was diagnosing a tree, fixing a motor, or driving a Percheron draft horse into the show ring, if it didn’t meet Gary’s standards, it didn’t fly. Whether you were a client, employee, or family member, you were going to learn something from him, whether you liked it or not. And you’d better be paying attention.

“I’ll never forget when Gary taught me what EC stands for: emulsifiable concentrate,” said Ken, a longtime teammate and dear family friend. “And the thing is, I’d already passed my QAL. I’d done the studying, taken the test, and gone through the training. But Gary still had knowledge. Practical, lived knowledge that no textbook or course had ever taught me. That was Gary. There was always something to learn from him.”

Gary and his Sister

Gary was full of stories, and he lived a life worthy of one. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, the only son in his family, with two much older sisters who fiercely looked out for him. He grew up poor and tough, learning to survive in a rough world with grit, charm, and the occasional fistfight. When others got bigger, he got faster … and smarter. His upbringing shaped him into a man who believed in hard work, resilience, and making something out of nothing.

Mentorship was one of Gary’s trademarks. Not the gentle, hand-holding kind, but the kind that pushed you to be sharper, more professional, and more accountable.

As Brandon, a close family friend and longtime teammate, recalled:

“He taught me to always be as presentable as possible in front of clientele.” It wasn’t just about appearance. It was about earning trust, showing care, and taking your work seriously.

His lessons came with stories, laughter, and a fair share of classic Gary moments. Brandon still laughs about one from a company camping trip:

“Gary tried to shake our tent to wake us up early. What he didn’t know was that it had rained the night before. The second he touched it, all the water poured right on top of him. He stomped away, muttering all sorts of colorful language under his breath.”

Gary’s sense of humor and unexpected antics became part of life at Sims Tree Health

Specialists, Inc. Nicole, Gary’s daughter-in-law, first met him when she applied for a job as a horse groomer. She quickly learned he was more than just a boss:

“He had no tolerance for nonsense, and when he had something to say, you listened. But he also loved messing with people. He’d walk into the office and squeeze this old antique bugle horn just to scare the life out of us. And every time, he thought it was hilarious!”

When Kevin, Gary’s son, found himself in a pickle, or a situation of his own making, his dad never let him off easy.

"He might start with, ‘What the hell were you thinking?’” Kevin said, “but then he’d jump in and help me fix it.”

That was Gary’s way: hold you accountable, make sure you understood what went wrong, and then stay beside you until it was right. It wasn’t just about solving problems. It was about teaching, preparing you for the next time, and making sure you left better than you came in.

That mix of prankster and protector stayed with him even through his service in Vietnam. Though he could have stayed home due to his flat feet, he insisted on serving. His time with the 595th Engineers shaped him deeply, he narrowly avoided an ambush that claimed much of his unit, all because he’d been held back for a punishment.

He came home a changed man. He grew up. He found his person. And he pursued Sue, the same girl who once scooted away from him at horse shows because he was, in her words, “trouble.” He won her over.

Together, Gary and Sue built a life and a business. With a pickup truck, a spray rig, and a newly discovered passion for trees, they launched Sims Tree Health Specialists, Inc. in 1972. And with it, Gary helped create something he never had growing up: stability, purpose, and a way to provide for others.

“We are a company of professionals,” Gary would say, and he meant it.

He expected his team to not only look the part but be the part. Nicole recalls how seriously he took that belief:

“Gary believed that if you find passionate people and invest in their growth and passions, they’ll keep learning, and that helps clients and their trees.”

And let’s not pretend we don’t all know what Gary was really proud of, too:

“Making money!” said Ken.

“I second that,” Brandon agreed.

But it wasn’t about greed. Gary grew up with very little. Money, for him, meant security. It meant freedom. It meant the ability to build a better life than the one he started with, and to give that life to his family. He and Sue worked job after job to make ends meet, then grew a business rooted in helping trees thrive. Improving their health, extending their lives, and restoring their strength. By doing that, they built lasting trust with clients and created meaningful work for the employees they treated and cared for like family.

As Kevin grew up, Gary passed on everything he knew: cars, horses, business, and character. The family spent years showing Percheron draft horses together across California, where Gary’s driving style became legendary. It was joked that he tipped the cart over so often, the horse just started assuming that was part of the obstacle course.

In 1997, they purchased the 6-acre property that would become the Sims Tree Learning Center. A place not just for business, but for education, family, and community. And in true Gary fashion, retirement didn’t mean slowing down. He and Sue launched another venture: a 23-acre olive orchard producing TLC Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

This Memorial Day, we honor Gary for all of it. For his time in uniform. For the decades of leadership that followed. For the grit, the humor, the lessons, and the legacy.

His voice still echoes here. In the field, in the office, in the expectations we hold, and the passion we bring.

And if Gary were here reading this? He’d probably smirk, shake his head, and tell us to get back to work and check the pressure on the rig.

So that’s what we’ll do.

In loving memory of Gary Sims 

September 29, 1946 - September 23, 2024