06/27/2025
Gary Eugene Hamby, 72, of 109 Cliffwood Drive Hudson went to meet his Lord and Savior on Wednesday June 25, 2025.
Mr Hamby was born December 1, 1952 to Clyde and Ruby Hamby. He was proceeded in death by his parents, brother Dennis, sister Genene and two sons Michael and Stephen.
He is survived by his loving wife of 32 years Sylvia Hamby, Brother Rev Jim Hamby (Mary) and grandson Brady Boston.
Mr Hamby was a pillar of his community. He had many great accomplishments in his life. Gary was a highly successful and renowned baseball coach at various levels, leading numerous Little League, Junior League, Senior League, Babe Ruth and American Legion Baseball teams to championships.
He coached with Lenoir Little league from 1974-85. He was an assistant coach on the 1983 Lenoir Little League team that won the state championship and played in the Southeast Regionals, one step away from the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. He was the head coach for the 1985 Little League state runner-up squad.
Gary moved to Junior and Senior League coaching from 1986-88. The 1986 Junior League team won the North Carolina state championship as well as the United States Southeast Regional title.
His 1987 and 1988 Senior League squads were state runners-up, and the 1989 Babe Ruth team won state and regional crowns.
He took over the Caldwell County Post 29 American Legion Baseball program in 1990, guiding the squad to back-to-back North Carolina state championships in 1990 and 1991 to reach the Southeast Regionals. The 1990 team reached the Southeast Regional finals, a game shy of reaching the American Legion World Series.
After stepping away for a period of seven years, during which he helped form, coach and manage the semi-professional Lenoir Oilers baseball team from 1992-95, Gary returned as the coach of Post 29 in 1999. He led the 2000 team to another N.C. State championship and a trip to the Southeast Regionals.
Caldwell County also finished as the North Carolina Legion runner-up in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
His 29ers went on to make multiple appearances in the North Carolina State American Legion Baseball championship tournament until he stepped away from coaching at that level in 2010 with more than 500 victories over 14 seasons with the 29ers. He is the winningest coach in the history of the Post 29 program and ranks among the winningest American Legion Baseball coaches in North Carolina.
Following his tenure with American Legion Baseball, Gary also served as a member of the Hudson Baseball Board of Directors and coached in the Hudson Baseball youth program for a period of time before coaching the Hudson Middle School baseball team from 2020-22.
Most recently, Gary was serving as the athletic officer for Post 29 and its baseball program.
Gary was inducted into the North Carolina American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Caldwell County Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
He also coached football for the Lenoir Optimist program from 1979-89 and the Hibriten District middle school team in 1986 and 1987. HIs love of the lord, youth, and sports led him to found System 3 ministries. The ministry was foundered to share the love of his lord and savior. System 3 so=poke to many student athletes, adults in our community. In the last year this became his love and passion. HIs legacy will live on in every player he coached every friend he made and all who came to love him.
In leiu of flowers, contributions may be made to Sylvia Hamby for South Caldwell's Varsity Baseball Team in Gary's memory. Checks may be mailed to 109 Cliffwood Dr. Hudson, NC 28638.
