Gary L. Planck

It is with great sadness that we lost Gary Planck (62) Sunday, August 27 at 2 a.m., the time he would be coming to The Wheel for his nightly routine.

Gary L. Planck was born August 5, 1960, the son of Elgin and Rachel (Auten) Planck. He was a 1980 graduate of Lawrence High School. Gary was hired by KU Facilities on August 2, 1983 and continued to work until he was forced to retire April 30, 2022 (38 years, 8 months, 28 days) due to an illness.

Since 1988, in addition to his full-time job at KU, Gary has been cleaning The Wheel and recycling the cans. That is a lot of cans in 34 years! Gary led a simple life, but so loyal and dedicated in everything he did. He will be missed by many.

Funeral services for Gary will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The family will greet friends from 1 – 2 p.m. prior to the service at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in Gary’s name to Shriners Children’s Hospital and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.