Gary Kanter

Gary Kanter, 79, of Chappell and Maine, passed away at his home in Maine on March 11, 2026 under the care of his wife, Janet.

Memorial services and burial are being planned for later this spring at the Berea Lutheran Church and will be announced when available.

Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home and Cremations in Chappell is serving the Karter family.

Family and friends can leave condolences at www.bondegardfunerals.com.

Gary Kanter was born in 1946 in Julesburg, Colorado, the only son of Clifford and Ruby Kanter. Growing up on the family farm, Gary attended District 10, a one-room schoolhouse located in the middle of the family pasture. He continued his education at Deuel County High School in Chappell, NE and graduated in 1965. He then went on to the University of Wyoming, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1970.

Gary was married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was to Gertrude Hopkinson, and his second to Janet Figueroa. Although he never had biological children, Gary was a devoted stepfather and grandfather. He had four stepchildren, fifteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Gary was deeply cherished by his family and was known for being a wonderful stepdad and grandfather.

After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1970, Gary began his professional career with the Alaska Highway Department in Anchorage, Alaska. Later that same year, he was drafted into the United States Army and served actively until 1972. After completing his military service, Gary returned to Alaska and continued working for the highway department until 1974.

In April 1974, Gary joined Bechtel Construction to work on the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline in Fairbanks. He contributed to the construction of pipeline camps from 1974 to 1977.Following this, he worked at Alaska's North Slope for Santa Fe Engineering and Construction Company from 1977 to 1980. During this period, he also worked at the Naval Petroleum Reserve conducting oil exploration.

In 1980, Gary relocated to San Francisco and continued his work with Bechtel as a North Slope Arctic Construction Supervisor, a role he held until 1988. Afterward, he was reassigned to London, where he lived for ten years and oversaw Great Britain's offshore pipeline projects. Gary's next assignment took him to Qatar, where he worked as a Superintendent on offshore pipeline construction.

In 1988, Gary left Bechtel and established G&T Consultants Limited, his own company, which contracted with Arco Company for offshore construction and platform modifications until 1993. That year, Arco hired him as a Construction Supervisor, leading offshore petroleum development projects. This position brought him to China from 1993 to 1995, after which he moved to Dubai in 1995 to oversee refinery construction. Gary returned to Qatar in 1996 for another project and subsequently lived in Abu Dhabi from 1996 to 2000.

After a long and successful international career, Gary retired and moved to Maine, where he managed the family farms in Chappell NE and Julesburg Colorado. Gary felt fortunate to have worked for companies that gave him the opportunity to travel to many beautiful places around the world including Britain Japan, China, and the United Arab Emirates. He will be deeply missed by his family friends and all who knew him.