Retired Tarrant County Precinct Three Commissioner Gary Fickes, who passed away on Thursday evening, has left deep memories and an impressive legacy among his family, friends, and community.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said in November, “Gary is a true public servant whose long and respected career is leaving a lasting impact on the people of North Texas. His dedication to community service is unmatched.”
Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price recalls her first meeting with Gary Fickes. “I had been Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector for four years when Gary was elected County Commissioner. I knew his reputation for collaboration from his service as Mayor of Southlake.”
She continues, “I was immediately impressed with his servant leadership. He had a heart for service, and he cared about the community and all the people in the community. He just wanted to make everything better.”
Commissioner Fickes was respected for bringing together people with broad interests for the common good. His priorities as a commissioner were senior services, transportation, healthcare, and quality economic development.
One of his busiest and most memorable days occurred on Wednesday, February 17, 2010. That morning, Commissioner Fickes hosted his first Northeast Tarrant Transportation Summit before several hundred area community leaders and transportation officials at the Grapevine Convention Center.
The public officials moved from the convention center to break ground for the DFW Connector project in Grapevine. As one leader said, “That day showcased how Gary Fickes got the most out of a single day’s work.”
His passion for bringing resources together resulted in his most widespread achievement. In early 2009, Commissioner Fickes and his team brought together a focus group of senior service leaders and asked how Tarrant County could best serve them.
The seniors responded that they wanted their own senior lifestyle expo, they wanted it in their own backyard, they wanted it to address issues such as senior isolation and healthcare, and they wanted it to be a fun experience. Oh yes, and they wanted it to be… free!
Commissioner Fickes and his team responded by recruiting sponsors to underwrite the inaugural Empowering Seniors Health & Lifestyle Expo, with a capacity of 300 attendees, at The Hills Church in Richland Hills on Friday, October 2, 2009.
The demand was so overwhelming that he moved to Campus West in Bedford (then the home of 6 Stones Mission Network on the Cross City Church campus) and expanded the event to include more than 3,000 attendees. In recent years, Empowering Seniors was held at the Hurst Conference Center before moving downtown last August to combine with the Senior Synergy event.
The Fort Worth Business Press honored Commissioner Fickes as a Healthcare Hero for his commitment to senior health, and he received statewide and national honors for the success of Empowering Seniors.
The success of Empowering Seniors led then-Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley to create a county-wide event, Senior Synergy, that has also attracted massive crowds at the Will Rogers complex in Fort Worth.
Retired Tarrant County Administrator G.K. Maenius shared an insight when speaking at Commissioner Fickes’ retirement party last November: “I am impressed with how Gary is the first commissioner to have prioritized seniors on such a large scale. What he achieved with Empowering Seniors is remarkable, and that impact will last for years.”
Former Tarrant County Precinct 1 County Commissioner Roy C. Brooks speaks of his respect for Gary Fickes: “Gary was always the consummate gentleman. He was a statesman, and he knew how to get along with people, with the objective of getting the deal done in the best interest of all the people.”
Brooks adds, “I taught Gary how to tie and wear a bow tie, so that’s one form of our collaboration and friendship.”
Commissioner Fickes chose not to run for re-election, and he supported Matt Krause, who won the election to succeed him. Commissioner Krause said on social media that his predecessor was “a selfless public servant and a tireless worker for his constituents.”
One of the high honors of his life occurred last November, when the Tarrant County Commissioners Court named the courthouse in Hurst the Gary Fickes Northeast Courthouse.
Commissioner Fickes faced a major health crisis in 2008, when his liver began to fail. He received a life-saving transplant that gave him a second lease on life. Doctors projected that the liver would extend his life by ten years. It lasted for 17.
He often said that he was living on borrowed time and that he was thankful for every breath he took, so he could use that time to serve others and make a difference.
Indeed, Commissioner Fickes lived his life to the fullest. He showed his appreciation for the liver transplant by forming Team Fickes to walk in the annual LifeGift Walk that raised awareness and funds for organ transplants.
Interestingly enough, he was both a Rotarian and a Lion – quite an unusual combination. He was a member of the Colleyville Lions Club and the Rotary Club of Grapevine. The Rotarians met at lunch on Wednesdays, and the Lions roared during breakfast on Fridays.
Commissioner Fickes graduated from Sam Houston State University and served on its Alumni Association Board. He also established the Gary Fickes Osteopathic Medicine Endowed Scholarship at the university.
He admired and lived the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” in his personal and professional lives.
As a Grapevine Rotarian, he took his son Corey to Acuna, Mexico, ten times. On one occasion, they helped deliver a new ambulance and an 18-wheeler with medical equipment. He enjoyed the camaraderie with Corey while sharing the joy of serving others.
Commissioner Fickes enthusiastically supported Tome City, Japan, as Southlake’s Sister City. He and his son Chris and daughter Jenny visited Japan and immersed themselves in the local culture.
He also took his son Corey to Southlake’s other Sister City, El Fuerte, in Mexicco.
Commissioner Fickes adored his family, with wife Kathy and children Chris, Jenny, and her husband Alex Styers, and Corey and his wife Kacey Fickes. He shared Tuesday breakfasts with Corey whenever both were in town, and he loved playing with his grandchildren, frequently on their ranch in Comanche. He and Kathy enjoyed dinners with her daughter, Cassie, and her husband, Steve.
He and Kathy spent most weekends at the ranch, and a highlight was Friday night dinner with their Comanche community friends. He is also survived by two grandchildren and an extended family.
A memorial service to honor Commissioner Gary Fickes will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, July 21, at the Hurst Conference Center. The public is invited to celebrate his remarkable life.
