Gary Houle

Birdsong Cremations

Gary Richard Houle, born in Plattsburgh, NY on November 22, 1954, passed away June 7, 2022 in a suburb of Houston, Texas. Memorial services with the USAF and family followed by cremation interment will be on July 18, 2022 at 10:00 AM; at the Houston National Veterans Cemetery, located at 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038   Quietly fun-loving, sharing great jokes, articles, and books his interests encompassed everything from plastic ocean pollutants to space discoveries, calculus to theoretical physics, and kitchen science experiments to playing school with grandkids. He loved to cook, to take long walks and, particularly in the company of his grandchildren, to explore parks and zoos, help with math problems, read books and enjoy movies, spend countless hours in Barnes and Noble, and play board games like Monopoly and Parcheesi. With Dude, as they called their grandfather, an adventure and good time were always guaranteed.   Gary earned a congressional appointment in high school to the United States Air Force Academy where began his love of flying, astrophysics and cosmology. Noted for using his math skills to solve problems for the USAF at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, he transferred to Vandenburg AFB, California then to United Space Boosters Inc to work on the US Space Shuttle simulation programs. Living and working in California cities, Gary started his career with personal computers in Santa Maria as Apple introduced the first computers and then Artificial Intelligence and Speech Recognition at Lockheed Research Labs in Palo Alto. In 1989 he moved his family to Houston and Compaq Computers where he led teams to develop software and hardware on portable and desktop computers and servers. Following a 14-year career at Compaq, during which he completed his MBA and CFP certification he founded Determined Financial Planning as he explored fiscal and business planning and used those skills at the Oasis group where he had many friends who became like family.     Gary is survived by his wife, Darlene Joy Alexander-Houle, Houston, Texas, his daughters, Stephanie Nicole Sides-Sembera and husband, Paul Sembera of Tomball, TX and Kenneth Sides of Pinehurst, TX and Meghan Victoria Zubot and husband Curtis Zubot of Calgary, Canada. The joyous light in his life, his grandchildren: Nolan Austin and Lilibeth Victoria Sides of Tomball, TX and Mason John, Benjamin Bradley and Natalie Joy Zubot of Calgary; and three sisters and a brother in New York State, Dorothy and Paul McGee, Cathy Fountain, Linda Deyo and Michael Houle. Gary is preceded in death by his parents, Maynard and Jean Houle, and two brothers, Maynard Jr and Randy Houle. He is sorely missed and remembered as his children and grandchildren explore the earth and cosmology Dude introduced.   In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to www. plannedparenthood. org or www. houstonoasis. org in Gary's name

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Gary Houle Obituary | Birdsong Cremations