Seventy five years. Can it really be?
It was the late 1950's and two young lads were returning home after serving our country, Gary Irvine in the U.S. Navy and me, the Kornerman, in the U.S. Army.
Just like numerous others, feeling our way into real manhood, and wondering what the future had in store.
I'm absolutely sure, in our cases, part of that question was quickly answered. We were Iowa born and Boone raised and, despite the fact we had seen our services world, Gary in the U.S. and on ships overseas, and me from sandy Arkansas to sunny California, we had determined early on there was no place like home and that was in this small Central Iowa community named after Nathan Boone.
We both loved and looked forward to "coming home."
That decision was important and the lifetimes spent here proved to be "right on."
Youthful free wheeling lifestyles did require some income. So, while I returned to a lifetime of media work, Gary followed his dad at Boone's Culligan franchise before taking charge himself. Car salesmanship followed for a time and work at Arnold Motor Supply completed his work days.
Gary Lee Irvine, a good friend to many and a 1955 graduate of Boone High School, passed away Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 88 years of age, after way too many years of struggle with various health issues.
Meantime, I'm still here at 90 plus, a 1953 BHS grad who doesn't know why my name has yet to be called.
Memories of our friendship? Oh, my.......yes, they could fill a book.......whether truthful or not.
As much as he loved athletics, that wasn't Gary's strongest point. He was a pretty good Toreador swimmer and was a football team participant......mostly in practice. I'll never forget his appearance in a Des Moines Register photo of a successful Toreador football team that had just upset a Newton squad that had been acclaimed number one in Iowa.
Let's see, who's that very joyful lad standing out in the front row, fist raised in victory for all of Iowa to see? It had to be the winner of the Outstanding Player of the Game honor. Nope. It was our Irv, who thoroughly expressed the excitement of the victory, but minus any real playing time in it.
Hey, remember, at the start of our long friendship, we were young kids with IMPORTANT things on our mind like cars and sports, Gary's boat at the Great Lakes and those newly hired young teachers that were sure to gain some notice.
Speaking of that boat, Gary, without shame, always conceded that he was a spoiled kid. His dad, a very successful business man, surely provided that fancy boat AND Gary always seemed to have a new car on an almost yearly basis, oftentimes shiny Corvette's.
Irv and I loved our teams, from the Toreadors on up and all Iowa based.
One of our dreams was to visit every single Big 10 Conference football stadium and we did catch quite a few......Ohio State, Northwestern, Purdue and Michigan State. In fact, those last two provide a pair of special memories we've shared numerous times through the years.
At Purdue, we failed to recognize the time difference and didn't reach the stadium until play was well underway. Then, Michigan State.....that was also unforgetable.
The Spartans were a talent laden team led by All American running back Clint Jones. They were rated number one in the nation and an overwhelming favorite over our Hawkeyes.
Early in the game, Eddie Podolak got loose for a long touchdown run and a 7-0 Hawkeye lead. But, this game was wayyyy too long. The final score was Michigan State 50 something and Iowa 7. But that was only half the memory.
Being the Sports Editor at the Boone News Republican at the time, I had sent for and received press box tickets for that game. Long time press box rules tell all inhabitants that "this box" is a neutral area and any type of disruptive behavior will simply not be tolerated.
Unfortunately, that early Hawkeye touchdown and lead was way too much for good ole' Irv to handle. The first thing I knew, he was jumping up and down, shouting, pounding me on the head and simply being obnoxious to all those around in the 100 yard long media box, which, of course, was filled to capacity.
I tried to escape but was in the middle of a storm that drew uncomplimentary comments from a cadre of national news people. Even our Iowa news friends were upset with us.
Eventually, those wounds were salved and somehow, on a cold wintry night, we found ourselves on the Hawkeye team bus heading for the motel after the game. Never bashful, Irv had talked the right person into sharing the ride. Gary thought that experience was cooler than cool.
I admit it. I perhaps expected or at least wanted Gary to name me his best friend ever. One problem. Everyone he ever talked too or had a moment with was his REAL best friend and there were tons of them, from community elite to those in the grime of the Boone Speedway pits and everyone in between. If he didn't know them NOW, he was researching to find out who they were.
In the last couple weeks, we had a few final moments together. Gary did do some limited texting but was not very privy to other communication outlets. One last text message from him reached the Kelley home at about 9 p.m. Friday night, just a few hours before his passing.
A time before that, he had called, very upset and wondering if it was true that one of those Best Friends had passed away. It was true but the death had occurred a full couple weeks earlier.
So, to keep him up-to-date, I started mailing the Korner to him periodically. My final dispatch was simply a list of 15 or so of the latest deaths, as listed in the Korner. He called and was so thankful for that information.
A few days before his death, Gary called with what seemed like a "goodbye" message. He said he knew his time was limited and asked if I would tell readers in the Korner how much he loved Boone and everyone here he had come in contact with.
Obviously, the man loved all of life and set few limits for his display of exuberance for all of its pathways. Yet, family, that was the gold standard. Wife Rosie was met and convinced at the right time and was just what Gary needed. The exceptional trauma she's faced for many months was not desired but is finally conquered and admiration for her support is endless. And grandkids? Stories abound about his devotion to them.
In conclusion, I won't bore with the too often used greatness cliches. Instead, how about repeating what my good friend Shakespeare once said, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women in it, merely players.They have their entrances and exits, and each one, in their time, play many parts."
Sounds like my ole' buddy, Gary Irvine.
K-----K
Worldwide Korner headquarters are still located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/menories/comments/death notices........https://kelleyskorner1@blogspot. com.
