Gary R. Gribko, 67, of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away on December 18, 2023.

He was born October 15, 1956 in Cambria Hights, NY to the late George and Jacqueline Gribko.

Mr. Gribko was the owner of Gary Gribko Home Improvements until his retirement in 2020.  Gary and his wife Janet left Plainview, NY to enjoy retirement in Vero Beach.

He enjoyed boating, gardening and was a wild animal lover.

Gary was a devoted husband, loving father, and grandfather.  He was known for his colorful sense of humor and ability to discreetly moon a camera any chance possible. To know Gary was to love Gary.  He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

He leaves his memories to be cherished by his wife of 49 years, Janet Gribko; son, George (Carrie) Gribko of Mooresville, NC; grandchildren, Lance, Brock, and Annabelle Gribko of Mooresville; brother, Gregory (Michele) Gribko of Long Island, NY and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Condolences may be shared with the family on this tribute page.

Portrait of an Old Sailor

There once was a man with a heart of gold
Encased in concrete so that it could never be hurt

Salt of the earth, salt of the sea

Tough as nails
But tender as could be
(if you stuck around)

His hands were cracked from hard work
And his eyes had a gleeful glint
Because everything was funny to him
He would make a joke about something so terrible
And watch you squirm
And he’d laugh
And wait to see if you’d stick around

His face was cracked from the laugh and the smoke and the sea salt air

But through the concrete,
gold shone of devotion

In the summer his soul was on the water
Standing beside his boat
Wading in the bay
With a drink in hand and a Camel on his lip,
The shoulder he hurt from hard work and a bad dive,
suddenly not so bad
If it was hot enough, he’d still dive in

Huddled behind him on the sand
In a horseshoe of folding chairs and bright umbrellas
The luckiest family—a beach family—
A growing family on shrinking sand

We always stuck around

But summer was always too short
And winter would come

It would come for our hearts
When sickness would put us in the hospital,
When we were jobless
When we were in need of a home
When we faced the most profound sadness you could never explain
He would crack the concrete
And show the gold
—for those who stuck around

He’d try to bring the warmth in the way he could
By giving blood
By sleeping in a chair next to your hospital bed
By offering you his home
By giving you a job
By having you for dinner every day after the hurricane swept your home and the power was out

He stuck around.

In the winter he’d wait for summer—
One cold January day along the shore
With the sharp sea salt air cracking his skin
Winter waves crashing violently
Walking alone with his hands in his pockets
A grainy black and white photo, frozen in time
Waiting for summer

In the winter he’d wait for summer—
For sun to shine bright and hot,
For the sea salt air to be soft again,
For the waves to be inviting,
For his beach family to return,

For heaven to arrive