Gary Mark Rivers was a lifelong resident of Sabine Parish where he was notably very active through his work, community, and civic activities. In short, he was dedicated to service which was exemplified in all aspects of his life.
Gary was born on January 23, 1957, to parents Lee Roy “Jake” and Leatha Rivers joining a large family of siblings Lucille “Betty” Rivers, Joseph “Joe” Rivers, Martha Henderson, Roy Rivers, Nancy May, and Steve Rivers.
Gary attended grammar school at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Zwolle and transferred to Zwolle Intermediate school where he graduated from Zwolle High School in 1975. After graduation, he received a scholarship to play basketball at Baptist Christian College in Shreveport, Louisiana. While there Gary was noted to break the school’s scoring record of 55 points in one game without a three-point line.
Gary married his longtime sweetheart, Beverly Aaron, also from Zwolle, Louisiana in April of 1980. They had three children- Angela, Krista, and Gary Mark Rivers II. Each of their children credited their father with influencing them into careers committed to service; primarily, his youngest daughter, Krista, who also pursued a career in education. Between the three children, Gary now has a generation of six grandchildren to carry on his legacy.
His love of basketball led Gary to major in Physical Education, receiving his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in 1979. Upon graduation, Gary initially went to work in the oil field until approached with the opportunity to coach middle school basketball. He joined the staff at Zwolle Intermediate School as a Physical Education Teacher and head boys’ basketball coach. He was a fierce competitor and coined the phrase “Your best can always be better”. This position gave him the opportunity to teach players the fundamentals of basketball and sportsmanship. This work resulted in grooming many championship players at Zwolle High School. He later transferred to Converse High School serving as head boys basketball coach. During his time at Converse High, he coached many students that would become lifelong friends including two who became successful coaches and educators- the late T.J. McCall and the LA State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Cade Brumley.
His love for all sports and coaching later inspired Gary to return to postsecondary education at Louisiana College in Alexandria, Louisiana where he earned Adapted Physical Education credentials allowing him to teach students with physical disabilities. It was after his time at Converse High School, when Gary transitioned into Adapted Physical Education full time. This allowed him to combine his passion for mentoring students with disabilities and his love of sports. During this role, he volunteered with the Sabine Special Olympics Committee to help organize events for his students. This job took him back to Zwolle Intermediate to work with a special student named Jacob and his child specific aide-Ella Marie. The two had a special bond and quickly became inseparable. Gary and Ella Marie were often caught pranking one another which kept Jacob laughing.
Gary also enjoyed teaching Drivers Education. He spent many summers with his coaching peers teaching students in Sabine Parish how to drive. He often reminisced on this time as it allowed him the opportunity to really get to know students while on long drives, including his own children!
Later Gary left his work as an educator to return to the oil industry with the Trinidad Drilling Company where he worked as Safety Supervisor. During this role, Gary used his position to help influence others to gain introspection. He would often say “What is it about me that allowed this to happen?” It pleased him to be able to offer employment opportunities and continued mentorship to many former students of Sabine Parish.
Even though Gary’s favorite sport was basketball, he also enjoyed working with Zwolle Dixie Youth from the time his son, Mark, first stepped onto the field. Along with friends and colleagues, Cleve Craig and Henry Rivers; Gary volunteered and coached many teams throughout the years. He even turned his love of baseball into a traveling hobby with his family. Each summer, they would travel to a different Major League Stadium- reaching a total of 19 different parks before his death.
Gary had experience with civic work early in his lifetime. Not long after moving to Noble in 1980, he was appointed to serve the term of Police Chief. After serving as Police Chief, he stepped down to serve as alderman instead. He was most wellknown for serving in the role of mayor; howeverspending a large amount of time working on grants for water improvement projects and helping promote expansion of US Hwy 171 through Noble.
Gary was a volunteer fire fighter where he was instrumental in initiating the North Sabine Fire Protection District in conjunction with colleagues Larry Cryer and Nick Spann amongst many others. He served as the President of the district and commissioner for Noble. The group started with one service goal in mind- lowering insurance rates and putting money back in the hands of their constituents. Anyone who drives north on Highway 171 can see the success of these projects.
Outside of work and sports, Gary was a devout Christian and lifelong member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Zwolle. There he served as both a Eucharist Minister and usher during mass. Gary was also Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus. During his time with the Knights, Gary sponsored and organized many free throw competitions where he volunteered to drive students across the state to compete.
Gary also worked with the Tamale Fiesta as a volunteer whenever needed- whether working admissions, helping with the mud contest, judging tamale cooking competitions or organizing the 5K run- he was always available.
The most notable thing anyone could say about Coach Rivers was that he was dependableno matter the situation. He was always willing to help- a true friend in times of need.
Through his life of dedicated service work, Gary has influenced countless people near and far, encouraging them to be better, do more and give always. I think we could all ask, “What is it about YOU, Gary, that allowed this to happen?” It is our hope that Gary be remembered for his legacy of service and that it may be continued for generations through all those he has helped.