Page 16 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Winter 2020- Online Magazine
P. 16
HONORING
SMALL BUSINESSES
Yours,
Mine
& Blessed
By Paula Ward
You never really know when two After blending a family of five customers and to make business easy
people meet, what will happen. Gary children, four boys and one girl, the for anyone to hire us.
Ward and I met in January 1992. It challenge began! Their ages were
wasn’t “love at first sight”, but it nine, nine, thirteen, sixteen and During over 40 years, many things
didn’t take long for us to realize that seventeen. There was never a dull day have changed at Gary’s Heating
we belonged together. at the Ward house. and Air. Employees have come
and gone, equipment has changed,
Gary was born and raised in Amarillo We faced many challenges raising and city codes have changed, but
and graduated from Palo Duro High our children – seven days a week, Gary’s strong commitment to ethical
School. After he graduated, he began 24/7. Gary and I began the marriage business practices has never changed.
working in heating and air. In 1978, journey with the commitment that
he founded his own company, Gary’s we would accept the challenge and Gary’s core beliefs are based on this
Heating and Air, in his garage. His survive. Fast forward 28 years, and scripture that his parents taught him
company continues to grow, and in all is well. Kids are still alive, none early in life:
January 2021, he will celebrate 43 are in jail, all have beautiful Christian
years in business. families, and we are more in love “In everything, therefore, treat people the
today than we were 28 years ago. same way you want them to treat you,
My family moved around the states for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
before landing in Pampa when I In 2010, I was getting close to 30 Matthew 7:12
was in the 5th grade. I eventually years in education and started the
graduated from Pampa High School retirement thinking, “What’s next?” • Honesty/Integrity/Fairness for
and moved to Amarillo to go to Gary gently suggested I go to work every client and co-worker
WTSU. After graduation, I started for him. I said I would consider it, • Performance Excellence with 100%
my career as a teacher (nine years), but I would not work for him – I’d satisfaction guarantee
School Counselor (ten years) and work with him! Ha! We talked about
Director of Counselors for AISD it for almost a year. There were days • Drug-free and criminal record-
(eleven years) before retiring in 2011 – I was sure I would do it, and the free employees to ensure safety for
at least from the education field. next day I would say no. Many of customers and their homes
our close friends and family
warned us against working • Giving back to the community, with
together. Neither one of us emphasis on widows and struggling
wanted to mess our lives up families
personally and professionally,
but after much thought and Over the years, Gary’s has been
prayer, I made the decision honored with many awards from
to join Gary’s team in July Carrier, Comfort Heat, Puron,
2011. Gary and I have loved Best of Amarillo Heating and Air
working together. We have Conditioning, and Channel 10
the same passion: to provide Viewer’s Choice Award, but none
100% satisfaction to all our are more cherished than the Better
16 Amarillo Senior Link
