Gary Owen Shelton, 83, of Fairfield, IL passed away on Friday, April 10, 2026 at Fairfield Memorial Hospital in Fairfield, IL. Gary was born on December 28, 1942 in St. Louis, MO. He worked as a Tool & Die Machinist for Airtex in Fairfield, IL and he was a U.S. Army Veteran. He was an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan, and he loved hunting, fishing, and playing golf. He was also an active member of the American Legion Post #176 in Fairfield for 44 years.
Gary is survived by his son James Shelton & significant other Melissa Roam, 4 grandchildren: Rachael, Janeen, Courtney, and Joshua, several great-grandchildren, his brother Melvin Shelton, 2 nieces, 3 nephews, and several cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father Bernul Shelton, and 2 brothers: Lowell Shelton and Larry Shelton.
A gathering of family and friends will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at Young Funeral Home in Wayne City, IL. At the conclusion of the services at 4:00 p.m., there will be no procession to the cemetery. Interment will take place at a later date at Farnsworth Cemetery near Keenes, IL.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Gary’s memory may be made to “WCHS” (The Wayne County Humane Society) and will be accepted at Young Funeral Home in Wayne City or may be mailed to: WCHS, 518 SE 4th St, Fairfield, IL 62837
Online condolences, memories, and words of encouragement may be shared at www.youngfuneralhomellc.com
