Gary Ludtke: Commitment, consistency lead to a trifecta in 2025

by Mary Jo David

Around the world, Nov. 19 is recognized as International Men’s Day to “celebrate, worldwide, the positive value men bring to the world, their families, and communities.” Once again, in our November issue, Stockbridge Community News is featuring Men of the Hour—men from our own little corner of the world who make a notable difference in our community. Congratulations to Gary Ludtke for being nominated as a Man of the Hour; this is his story.

“I could talk about Gary Ludtke all day,” old friend Archie King said with fervor. That kind of enthusiasm is usually reserved for very special people, and it just might be that Gary Ludtke fits the bill.

Gary was born in Jackson. (If I had a dime from everyone who tells me they were delivered by Dr. Weddon…!). He grew up in neighboring Gregory, where his dad sold insurance out of their home and his mom raised the kids. He is the youngest of the Ludtke boys—including Bob and Richard—by 14 years. His father passed away when Gary was only 18, but even at that young age, enough of his dad had rubbed off on Gary that it seemed quite natural for him to make a career of the insurance business after he graduated college.

This year, Gary is celebrating the trifecta: 50 years since college graduation, 50 years married to his wife Roberta, and 50 years working with Prudential. No one can deny, those are some phenomenal stats!

Some of Gary’s fondest memories involved playing pick-up games of football and baseball with neighborhood kids, and later at school. King was one grade ahead of Gary, but they became fast friends as youngsters in Gregory. When Gary was 15 and Archie was 16, the two played in the Mickey Mantle baseball league together.

“Gary was a great pitcher. In 1969, our team was second in the state. We were two runs away from competing in Dallas, Texas, that year,” King recalled. “Later Gary went on to play baseball at Alma, and for a long time—maybe even now—Gary had the lowest ERA there,” he added.

Besides baseball, in high school, Gary played football and basketball. He also played clarinet and bass drum in the band, performed in school plays, and served as president of the Stockbridge High School Class of 1971.

Baseball wasn’t the only thing to catch Gary’s attention at Alma College. It turns out, his future wife, Roberta, also was enrolled there. But to hear Gary tell it, “For a while, I was her second choice. She had a thing for pitchers, but I asked her to a Sadie Hawkins dance, and eventually I won out over the left-hander!”

To meet Gary only in the last five years or so as I did, it would be tough to believe he considered himself to be a shy kid. Others who have known him a long time usually point out that he’s always had a great sense of humor.

“I was always mindful of adults and pretty consistent as a kid, but I had some, shall we say ‘influences,’ in my youth! You know, when you grow up on the streets of Gregory you had to be a little tough,” he said with a smile.

Consistency came up a number of times in our conversation. Now in his 50th year working in retirement planning with Prudential, he is responsible for overseeing a hospital’s large 403B plan, which means a couple thousand clients depend on him and his consistency for their retirement needs.

Even with all of that responsibility, Gary found time to volunteer for numerous organizations in the community—the Lions Club, the DDA, Christmas on the Square, Halloween decorating, and local parades are just the beginning. He often juggled presidencies of many organizations, but when it came to his civic engagement, he seems most proud of two community gems: The Stockbridge Area Education Foundation, including working with Dorene White, Meredith Hanna, and Jill Peck to establish SAEF’s Festival of Tables fundraiser, and working along with Larry Lindemer to raise the funds to start the Stockbridge Area Arts Council.

He also volunteered as a deacon and elder in the Stockbridge Presbyterian Church for years.

Like Archie King, Susan Daily grew up just down the road from the Ludtke family. Her dad, Dan Howlett, stood up in the senior Ludtke’s wedding.

Daily recalls that “Gary’s family and our family were just like … family!” And when they got older and Gary and Roberta moved into their first home just across Elizabeth Street in Stockbridge from the Daily family, the bond became that much stronger.

“Gary is a very good man—honest and fun,” Daily stressed. “He cares about Stockbridge as much as I do, and would help in any way he could if it meant a better Stockbridge.”

Says Gary, “When you grow up active in a small town, you get to know so many people so much better than you ever could in a large city. I feel strongly that it was an advantage for me and also for my kids to grow up here.”

Speaking of family, we’ve saved the best for last. When it comes to figuring out what makes Gary tick—there’s only one answer, and that is his family. He is extremely proud of his 50-year marriage to Roberta, not just for its longevity but for its strength.

“I have a very happy marriage, a lovely home, and we are fortunate to have a close relationship with our two kids, Chad and Emily; Chad’s wife Lindsay; and our grandkids,” he said. Chad is a special education teacher in Birmingham, Michigan, Lindsay is an occupational therapist, and Emily is an accountant at Amazon in Washington, D.C.

Roberta and Gary are known for their lovely home and the beautiful gardens they work on together. Some of their best times are spent traveling—often with family or friends—and making each other laugh.

And then there’s his train obsession—oops, I mean hobby! But that would be another story for another day.

All photos provided by Gary Ludtke.