Gary Dale Tolivar

Gary Dale Tolivar, age 66, of Hannibal, MO passed away peacefully at home 6:02 pm Monday, September 23, 2024.

Friends and family are invited to a visitation celebrating Gary's life from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm Friday, September 27, 2024, at the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel.  Full military honors will be held at 7:00 PM at the Smith Funeral Home and Chapel.

Gary was born on December 31, 1957, in Tulsa, Ok the son of Deloris Holt and stepson of Bill Heather.

He was united in marriage to Caroline "Carol" Murphy on May 7, 1988, in Hannibal, MO.

Survivors include wife, Carol Tolivar of the home, sons, U.S. Army Captain  Jake Tolivar (Liz) of Ludowici, GA, and Dillon Tolivar (Hannah) of Hannibal, MO, step-son, Keith Gonzales of Hannibal, MO; grandchildren, Noah, Nash, Atticus, Fiera and Logan; great-grandchildren, Ezra, Lukas and Azelynn; brothers, Mike Tolivar (Glenda) of Marshall, MO, Steve Tolivar (Cathy) of Marshall, MO and Andy Tolivar of Southern, MO; mother-in-law, Pat Murphy of Hannibal, MO and numerous loving friends and family members on the Murphy side of his family.

In addition to his mother and stepfather, Gary was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Joe Murphy, brother-in-law, Steve Murphy and niece, Lindsay Greenwell.

Gary graduated from Marshall High School in the class of 1975 and went on to honorably serve his country in the United States Army from 1975 to 1978.

Professionally Gary previously worked in building maintenance for MO-DOT and most recently was a self-employed contractor. He previously served as a Volunteer Fireman on the Hannibal Rural Fire Department and was an EMT.

Gary found solace and freedom from all troubles in riding his Harley, whether it was with Carol, his friends or a solo ride. He enjoyed being outdoors and during that time, you could find him walking his dog. Some of Gary's favorite times were cruising along the coast of California and the Great Smoky Mountains. The most precious times were those spent with his family, especially his grandkids.

Honorary pallbearers will be John Coleman, Dawn Miller, Tonya Dauma, Lonnie Shields, Todd Roth, Jeremy Gibson and Nicky Boswell.

Memorial contributions may be made to Gary's grandchildren's education fund (Please make checks payable to Carol Tolivar or by Venmo to @cmtolivar, in care of the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel.

Online condolences may be made to the family and video tribute viewed on Gary's memorial page at www.smithfuneralhomeandchapel.com