Garry Dean Kinder's Obituary
Garry Dean Kinder was born on May 22, 1933 in Pekin, Illinois to John and Edith Kinder. Both Garry and his brother Jack had a childhood filled with sports, friends, family and church. Garry graduated from Pekin High School where he played baseball (catcher), football (quarterback) and basketball (point guard). Garry went on to play football and baseball for Illinois Wesleyan University. He was an active member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity serving as president. At Illinois Wesleyan Garry met Barbara Sandy. They were married for 32 years until her untimely death in 1990. They had two daughters, Karen and Karol.
Garry began his career as an insurance agent at Illinois Wesleyan University. He became the youngest agent in Illinois to achieve the Million Dollar Round Table membership his first year in the business. After spending five years as an agent, he became a Manager in Bloomington, IL; Akron; and Detroit for Equitable Life Insurance, eventually becoming Regional Vice President for Equitable in Dallas.
In 1976, Garry and his brother Jack started Kinder Brothers & Associates, a consulting firm for insurance agents, managers, and executives around the world. They produced over 40 resource tools including audios and videos, plus eight bestselling books.
Garry was active in civic affairs, was a Trustee Emeritus at Illinois Wesleyan University, past president of FCA of Texas, Kidney Foundation of Texas, and helped start the Baseball Chapel for major league baseball. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Bill Glass Evangelistic Association. He is the author of eleven books including the New York Times Bestseller, Winning Strategies in Selling (year 1983) which he wrote with his brother Jack and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach. Garry was an avid golfer at Preston Trail golf club in Dallas.
Most importantly, he valued his role as a Bible teacher every Sunday for 38 years. The Bent Tree Bible Study (which later became Roaring Lambs Bible Study) met in a country club setting, drawing people from all denominations. After the death of his wife Barbara, Garry married Janet Tebeau Hampton in 1992. Together they served at Roaring Lambs Bible study and traveled the world for his business. Janet and Garry have been married for over 30 years and are actively involved in the lives of their children and grandchildren.
Garry is survived by his wife Janet Kinder, daughter Karol Kinder Ladd and husband Curt, son-in-law David Smith and wife Loren; step-children Stacey Hampton Stephens, and husband David, Neil Hampton and wife Michele; six grandchildren and their spouses, Grace and Jeremy McDonald, Joy and Adam Wright, Lauren and Miles Craven, Emily Smith, and Andrea and Drew Larimore, Caitlin Stephens. He is also survived by eight great grandchildren and his sister-in-law Mary Sue Kinder. Garry was preceded in death by his loving parents Jack Kinder and Edith Lauterbach Kinder, his first wife Barbara Sandy Kinder, his daughter Karen Kinder Smith, and his brothers Jack and James Kinder.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Roaring Lambs Ministries (www.roaringlambs.org)
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