Gary Michael Higgins

Gary Michael Higgins, 66, died very unexpectedly on May 26, 2026 at UNM Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally of Kennett, Missouri, Gary spent most of his life proving that where you start and where you belong are often two very different places. Born in Northern California, Gary’s family eventually moved back to Arkansas and later to Kennett, Missouri, where many of the stories that shaped his wonderfully eccentric worldview began. Though raised in the South, Gary escaped with admirable urgency, making homes and lifelong friends in Dallas, Kansas City, San Francisco, Houston, and finally Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Gary graduated from Kennett High School before earning his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1981 from Arkansas State University. After graduation, he moved to Dallas, where he truly came into full bloom and began building the circle of lifelong friendships that would define so much of his life. Dallas brought Kemball, Mark, Steve, and countless others into his orbit, along with several years working at Electronic Data Systems. He later moved to Kansas City to join Hallmark Cards, where he met his lifelong friend, Gary Head and was finally able to fully channel his creative talents throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. In 1999, Gary accepted what he considered his dream job in San Francisco as Creative Director for Portal Publications.

Gary’s childhood in rural Missouri was uniquely colorful, occasionally chaotic, and filled with the sort of stories that sound exaggerated until you realize they are absolutely true. Before encountering strangers, his mother, Peggy, would famously remind Gary and his siblings, “If anyone asks, everything is just fine.” It became both survival strategy and family motto, though Gary later perfected the art of telling those stories with impeccable comedic timing and just enough embellishment to keep everyone guessing.

Gary met the love of his life, Mark Siurek, after friends purchased a cruise out of Galveston to Mexico and Central America through a silent auction and successfully coerced (a very reluctant) Gary into joining them. What followed was a year-and-a-half long-distance relationship before Gary relocated to Houston, where he and Mark settled into their first home together. Along the way, they also shared a beloved Galveston beach house with Scott, Barry, Tom, and Bill along with nearby beach neighbors, Brad, Ruben, Carlos, Pedro, John, Glen, Kip and Tab, creating years of laughter, stories, and chosen-family memories.

Together, Gary and Mark built a life full of laughter, friendship, questionable restaurant indecision, and a rotating cast of beloved dogs. Gary also spent many years lovingly tolerating Mark’s annoyingly indignant commitment to being vegan. Gary was a truly rabid dog lover, and over the years he and Mark shared their lives with Sophie, Sister, Lola, Poppy, Hudson, and Hilde. Among them, Sister held a particularly sacred place in Gary’s heart as his soul dog, affectionately known as “Mama Biscuit.”

In 2006, Gary and Mark began visiting Santa Fe and slowly started imagining a new chapter there. The process of moving began in 2010, and in 2011 they officially relocated to Santa Fe with Lola and Sister. The city quickly became home. Gary and Mark also shared many unforgettable adventures together, including trips to Cuba, Paris, London, and Hawaii.

In Santa Fe, Gary worked for Hilton while Mark continued maintaining his Houston law practice, commuting weekly between Houston and Santa Fe until 2024. Gary gleefully retired in October 2024 and embraced retirement with enthusiasm, creativity, and fully earned leisure. Around that same time, he oversaw a remodel of their Santa Fe home in preparation for the next chapter of life, as Mark often declared that the only way he was leaving that house was “feet first.”

Gary was fiercely loyal, hilariously opinionated, and completely unburdened by uncertainty when answering questions during Trivial Pursuit. What he may have lacked in factual accuracy, he more than compensated for with confidence and presentation. A true fashionista with a flair for the dramatic, Gary made an impression everywhere he went, often while taking 45 minutes to study a menu before ordering the same thing he always ordered (chicken quesadillas).

Gary was preceded in death by his mother, Peggy Parmenter. He is survived by his husband, Mark; their fur kids Hudson and Hilde; his sisters Renee Zaragoza (husband Gilbert), Barbara (“Babs”) Brown (significant other Doug), and Sandra Trout (husband Donnie); aunts, uncles, numerous nieces and nephews (especially his niece, Cari Durre, who he always held close to his heart) and great nieces and nephews; and an extraordinary family of friends gathered from every chapter of his life.

He will be remembered for his creativity, his wit, his loyalty, his storytelling, and his uncanny ability to turn ordinary moments into something theatrical, hilarious, and unforgettable.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held at Unity Santa Fe, 1212 Unity Way, Santa Fe, NM 87506, on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at Noon with a luncheon following. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Santa Fe Animal Shelter (https://sfhumanesociety.org/) or Argos Dog Rescue (https://argosdogrescue.org/).