Gary Rader was born on January 27, 1946 and died on December 21, 2017. Gary, better known as both "The Mayor," and "Pool Mayor," was a towering figure (both literally and figuratively) who spent the entirety of his adult life devoted to public service and civic engagement. His most notable position was his twelve-year tenure as mayor of Weatherford, Oklahoma (1988-2000), but his contributions went beyond municipal government. The diversity and impact of his public persona was without rival in Western Oklahoma. Gary was a popular auctioneer, a bail bondsman, a baseball coach, an insurance agent, a contractor, Kiwanis club president, an imposing basketball referee, a feared poker player, an Oklahoma Sport Official Hall of Fame Inductee, a 32nd Degree Mason, and perhaps even more impressive, a prize-winning hog caller. He even held a starring role in a musical about the history of Weatherford, and more than once dressed up—in public—as Boss Hogg. If there was one word no one would ever use to describe Gary Rader, it would be "shy." There was nothing, it seemed, Gary could not or would not do.

This attitude served him well as mayor of Weatherford, where he instituted a number of initiatives that are still part of the fabric of the city. An achievement for which he was particularly proud was the creation of the Weatherford Pioneer Center—an 11,000 square foot facility for senior citizens that was ahead of its time.

Another favorite project was the nearly 500-acre expansion of Dean Rader Park, which was named for his father, himself a transformative mayor of Weatherford from 1964-1973. He also pushed through less glamorous but much needed changes like an enhanced 911 system, an upgrade of the fire department, advanced sewage and water treatment facilities, the Red River Transportation Taxi Bus (think Uber decades before Uber).

His success as mayor propelled him to statewide positions and notoriety. He served as both a board member and president of the Oklahoma Municipal League and the Southern Municipal Conference. He also received the Oklahoma Mayor of the Year Award, and Governor Mary Fallin named Gary to the Oklahoma Community Service Commission. Even so, his main priority was the citizens of Weatherford. As The Daily Oklahoman wrote in 2000, "If you have ever met Gary Rader, you have met Weatherford."

Gary Rader's loves extended beyond governance. He played tennis and bowled (not at the same time) for most of his life and enjoyed the community of local leagues. In the 1980s, he took up golf and won a local tournament in his flight. For years he was the announcer at all home Weatherford High School football games. He was a lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan, having attended several games in LA, where he may have enjoyed the famed Dodger Dog more than the actual Dodgers. He refereed the first televised high school basketball game in Oklahoma and was president of the National Coaches and Officials Association. An active member of the Westside Christian Church, Gary relished singing in the choir. And, despite his state's big swerve to the right, he remained a loyal Democrat.

His most compassionate endeavor—and perhaps his most under-appreciated—was his tireless commitment to youth baseball. He (more lovingly than dutifully) ran the Kiwanis Prep Fourth of July Baseball Tournament for nearly 20 years, and he also served as the President of the O. K. Kids Baseball Association—an organization that promotes and regulates summer baseball for almost 30,000 Oklahomans. Rather remarkably, in 1972, Rader coached the Weatherford Kiwanis Preps—the local baseball team of 13 and 14 year-olds—to a state Championship.

Though much of his life was devoted to Weatherford, Gary spent his early years in Hinton, Oklahoma. He was the only son of Guy Dean and Inez Evelyn "Sunny" Rader, who adopted Gary as a newborn. In 1960, the Raders moved to Weatherford. Gary played basketball for Weatherford High School, graduating in 1964. During high school, he worked for the Lockstone Funeral Home and became intrigued by mortuary science, which he went on to study at Central State University. However, Gary felt called to duty and enlisted in the United States Army during the early years of the Vietnam War, serving as a specialist in the Grave Registration unit. After his tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned to Weatherford to join his father at the Rader Insurance Agency where he worked for over 30 years.

As much as Gary enjoyed his work and his service, his family was his true love. Gary was a caring and devoted son, a loving and supportive husband, a gregarious and encouraging father, and a doting and occasionally extravagant grandfather. Gary is preceded in death by his parents Dean and Sunny Rader. He is survived by his wife of the home, Barbara Rader, his son Dean Rader, his wife Jill Ramsey, and their sons Gavin and Henry Rader of San Francisco, California and daughter Amy Rader Kice, her husband Adam Kice, and their daughters Ella Rader and Simone "Olive" Kice of Austin, Texas.