Mr. Gary LaVard Borden

Celebrating the Life of Gary LaVard Borden On February 27,1960 in Detroit, Michigan the late Edith Wallace and Mr. Alfonzia Borden, Sr., became proud parents of a baby that would change every life he touched, Mr. Gary Borden. From the womb some things were clear. Gary would never know what "No" meant, he was going to be the star, he was going to become the backbone of the family and see to it that they had and became their best. He worked hard and it was a struggle, and his primary objective was to put his mother in a place where she didn't have to work hard. Gary loved to travel to new different exotic places to see what else was going on in the world. He was known to set up a trip months in advance and then the week before call and tell you, "I got a ticket for you." He was very generous in that way and tried to make it possible for everybody to have at least one opportunity to experience a vacation away from Michigan. Gary started dressing like a star as soon as he saw what star dressing was. He required the finer things in life and did not mind working hard to get them. When the car phones were first available in the late 1980's Gary was first. He just had to have one. It continued with every other convenience and comfort he wanted. He was a genuine sports fanatic noted to be a Die Hard Detroit Lions Fan. Even when family was criticizing them saying they will never rise again, your quarterback sucks, it did not matter. Gary peacocked his Honolulu Blue Lions jersey and said, "You got to stay steadfast to your team. A man NEVER abandons his team. Now be quiet. The Lions are playing today." He loved basketball and was an amateur boxer with Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns being his mentor. Two things stopped him. His mother Edith Wallace could take no more of sitting on the sidelines watching her baby get hit. But Gary also had the opportunity to be exposed to other side of boxing which catapulted his already hot passion for business to the next level. He got into promoting and did the behind the scenes things and he said this is where he needs to be. Making his own decisions and being exploited out of his money was not an option. Circuit promoting was more lucrative and he did it well. With such a genuine love for sports one would think he was partial to the boys but the girls ran his world. He did not play when it came to his girls. They were the Girl Scouts but Gary sold all the cookies. He taught them business life skills of being courteous, professional and absolutely how to handle and count money. Even when they grew up he still treated his grown daughters like little girls. He was smitten with Niah and Nyla calling them Thing 1 and Thing 2 because they were his Shoo Shoo babies under his arm all the time. In his house, he made the sun rise and the moon set for them. His nephew, Nicholas remembers Gary as, "A good father figure who taught me how to be a man because when I was younger, I never had an actual Dad. He taught me how to drive and gave me life lessons including how to dress. He said, when you are out here you represent me and you and everything has to be on point." In 1999 Gary met Sarita and even though she was not interested in him Gary wanted her and she never had a chance to get away. Gary asked her to go away with him on a holiday to Las Vegas. Sarita was prepared to enjoy shows, dinner and sightseeing. Gary looked at her and told her: "We are getting married right here." Accepting that this handsome, well dressed, brilliant man was not going to let her go, Sarita made what she knows to be one of her best decisions and on October 25, 1999, after only four months, became Mrs. Gary Borden. Gary wanted to not just be in his Flat Rock Community but be of the Community. He decided the best way for him to fix what he did not like was to get on the decision making side. A lot of people are stuck on dreaming. Gary dreamed only long enough to figure out what needed to be done, how to do it then he did what he did best - made it happen. Gary called Alexander Zonjic the accomplished jazz and classical composer and flutist, sight unseen and asked him for a meeting at a restaurant. Gary told Alexander of his plan to revive the Riverfest and Alexander asked, "How are you going to make this RiverFest thing happen? It has been dead for years!" Gary said, "All I need you to do is be on board with me and I will make everything else happen." True to his word with Gary at the helm, City Council, Mayor and Alexander Zonjic getting on board it happened. Life was pumped back into RiverFest. It was important because this was the opportunity for the community to come together, for food, drinks, and vendors to be exposed. It also gave local bands the golden opportunity to play for crowds that would not have seen them and expand their connections. All Gary Borden asked was that everybody show up. And everybody did. He did not sit on the sidelines. This was a huge community event for everybody to be on the riverfront with their neighbors. Gary was right in the middle shaking everybody's hand and being sure they were not only citizens but a community that belonged in their community together. He planted his dream for his family in each daughter, son, niece nephew. Nobody was exempt. Not even Kim, his big baby. He never took no for an answer from himself and did not allow anyone else to accept no in anything that they did. Gary demanded that EVERYBODY become the self-sufficient leaders he knew they had inside of them. He wanted them to be proud of the way they lived because that was reflective of him. He was effective and stayed on top of his game to set an example. He wanted stallion leadership. If you could not do better and be better tomorrow than you were today, he would give you a hot meal but you had to keep it moving. Gary and his son Jerrelle were very business minded. They spent hours on the telephone exchanging ideas not only about what happened and what was happening but also about how to progress and make better things happen. His encouragement pushed daughter Gabrielle from dropping out of college to graduating on the Dean's List. Even though he treated GaGa like a little princess he was serious about life. He taught her as he did all of his family, how to be strong like him, never give up, keep going, finish, win, no matter what. In 2009 after 24 years, Flat Rock Mayor, Richard Jones retired. Gary could not let this be an ordinary occasion so he took over and chaired the event. The attendance of citizens and dignitaries broke records. Everybody came out because although it was the Mayor's retirement, it was Councilman Gary Borden's event. Gary was always very loving with all of his children. You were never too far away, too old, too late, too early for him to love. Never. He asked continually, "You know I love you? You love me? You love your Daddy?" Gary had patience and time for progress, effort, success, preparation, reaching for the best. He had no patience for laziness. He was very laid back but watched everybody and everything even when they were on vacation. Made sure he gave them the world. I did not give you leftovers. I gave you the best. I have laid the foundation, now you stand on it and be the leader. Sunday morning, March 30, 2014 at around 10:00 Gary, always in control, suddenly left us.

Mr. Gary LaVard Borden

February 27, 1960 - March 30, 2014