HOLTON – Gay "Floyd" Gruver, 82, of Holton, KS passed away Saturday, July 22, 2023 at the Midland Hospice House in Topeka, KS. He was born July 14, 1941, in Bryan, Ohio, the son of Paul Ramey and Dorothy Helen (Carrick) Gruver. He grew up in Indiana and graduated from high school in Pierceton, IN. in 1960.

After high school, Floyd enlisted in the United States Army in 1961. He was honorably discharged on May 25, 1963.

On Nov. 21, 1964, Floyd married Vera Ellis in Columbia City, IN. To this union they welcomed their daughter, Deb. They later divorced.

In Iowa, Floyd served as a volunteer firefighter, put up Morton buildings, and perfected his pranking abilities. He loved yardwork and home improvements, once building a bar with red barn wood he sourced from various Iowa farms. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and scouring rural Iowa for morel mushrooms.

Floyd moved his family in 1979 to Garden City, KS.

On Jan. 19, 1985, Floyd was united in marriage to Diane Hood Elson in Colby, KS. They shared over 38 years of marriage.

Floyd worked his way up at farm cooperatives for over 32 years in Iowa, Colorado and Kansas. He also managed T.O. Haas Tire in Hiawatha, KS, retiring in 2005. Floyd was a member of Evangel Global Methodist Church, Holton American Legion Post 44, and the Topeka Area Water Garden Society. He volunteered with New York Says Thank You with his daughter and was a member of Jaycees in Iowa.

Floyd blessed many people with his handyman skills, always eager to help a neighbor or friend. He spent his retirement years traveling, playing golf, caring for his mother-in-law and enjoying a winter home in Arizona. Floyd loved dogs, most recently Peppers and Salty and hopes to be reunited with many more, including Sam and Norman, all adopted.

Survivors include his wife, Diane, of the home; 3 daughters, Deb Gruver (Josh Wood) of Wichita, KS; Deb Green (Larry) and Kim Grasser (Kenny) both of Garden City, KS; sister, Shirley Spence (Steve) of Wilmington, NC; brother, Ted Gruver of Bel Air, MD; 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 27, 2023, at Mercer Funeral Home in Holton. Military Honors will be presented by the Holton VFW Post 1367 and American Legion Post 44. The family will greet friends Wednesday night from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Inurnment will be at a later date at Fairview Cemetery in Montezuma, KS. Memorials may be made to the Heart of Jackson Humane Society c/o Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270, Holton, KS 66436.