GARY CORNELIUS
April 06, 1952 - January 25, 2021
Obituary
Gary Lee Cornelius died at the age of 68 on January 25th, 2021 from complications related
to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Gary was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 6, 1952. He was
preceded in death by his wife Kookie, and his daughter Maile. He is survived by his sister
Delores Braley and his niece Jaima Woodiwiss (Florida).
Gary graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in Microbiology. He loved
spending time in Kookie's home state of Hawaii with their extended family. Gary spent the
last 37 years of his career at Air Wisconsin Airlines in Appleton, Wisconsin until his
retirement in July 2020. He was a loyal, dedicated employee and had a great deal of pride
in his work, going above and beyond on a consistent basis. His colleagues became his
friends and local family. His love of the aviation industry was evident to all who knew him.
Gary was a quiet, simple man, but was willing to help anyone who needed assistance. He
had a great sense of humor and quick wit that he shared with his co-workers on a daily
basis.
Gary was an accomplished musician and played in several bands over the years. His
passion was playing the accordion. Gary loved to read and watch sports and was a great
source of knowledge for trivia. He learned to play golf later in life and found a new passion.
He was known to walk and play 36 holes as often as he could and became a student of the
game until his diagnosis with ALS.
A celebration of Gary's life will take place on Monday March 15, 2021 at Westgor Funeral
Home 205 W. Doty Avenue, Neenah, Wisconsin. Visitation will be from 10 AM - 10:30 AM.
10:30AM - 11AM will be time for guests to share their stories/memories of Gary. Due to
COVID guidelines all those attending will be required to wear a mask or face covering.
Gary will be laid to rest next to his wife and daughter at Oak Hill Cemetery in Neenah, WI
immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial contribution in Gary's memory to the ALS