Remembering Gary Hester Through a Legacy of Welcome at Wesley Foundation

For Robin Church, sharing the story of her son Gary Gentry Hester is both emotional and deeply meaningful. During his time at Purdue University, Wesley Foundation became a place of guidance and belonging during one of the most challenging seasons of Gary’s life. Today, more than three decades after his death, Robin is honoring that impact with a $10,000 gift to A Legacy of Welcome: The Campaign for Wesley Foundation, supporting the new Wesley Student Center.

“Gary’s been gone since 1994—almost 32 years now—but anytime I get to talk about him, it’s a real blessing,” Robin shared. “I had Gary when I was seventeen, so I really couldn't remember living without him. He was brilliant—his IQ was off the charts—but he also faced learning challenges. He was dyslexic and had hand-eye coordination difficulties. That didn’t stop him, though. He was smart, quick-witted, and so funny.”

Robin recalls how Gary’s friends would compete to sit next to him at lunch because of his sense of humor and engaging personality. In high school, he sang in choir, competed in speech and debate, and dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Yet Gary’s path was not without hardship. After graduating in the late 1980s, he developed an addiction to cocaine, something Robin speaks about openly.

“At the time, people didn't fully understand how addictive cocaine could be,” Robin said. “Today, we recognize it’s not a moral failing or a character lapse. Cocaine changes your brain chemistry—it’s a true illness. Gary was fighting a horrible disease.”

Gary sought help through rehab and continued pursuing his education, attending Wabash College before transferring to Purdue University. It was there that he discovered Wesley. Under the leadership of Rev. Steve Cain, the ministry quickly became a place where Gary found stability, faith, and mentorship.

“When Gary got involved with Wesley, it meant the world to him,” Robin said. “Steve became his good shepherd, offering him guidance and encouragement during a time when he needed it most. Gary made friends, joined activities—it was probably the calmest and happiest I had seen him since he first became involved with cocaine.”

Knowing her son had that support brought Robin peace during an uncertain time. But on July 20, 1994, Gary died unexpectedly at the age of 24 after a relapse with cocaine.

“It was such a tragedy, such a heartbreak,” Robin said. “But God redeemed it, and He redeemed it in a huge part because of Wesley. Steve and Gary’s friends from Wesley were incredibly supportive. They took me under their wing after Gary died. Wesley became a safe place for me to go with my grief.”

Before Gary passed, deeply concerned he might relapse, Robin remembers having an intense conversation with God. She asked for a sign that Gary would be safe with Him if he did not survive the disease of addiction. After his passing, Robin continued to pray for reassurance. In the months that followed, she began to notice something remarkable.

“I’m a decorative painter, and I was hanging some of my older paintings in my new house,” Robin said. “I usually only put the year on my work, but there was one painting of Gary as a three-year-old that I had done in 1988, and it had a full date—day, month, and year. It was Gary’s death date: July 20!”

At first, Robin wondered if it might simply be a coincidence. But soon afterward, she experienced another moment that strengthened her faith.

“A few weeks later, I was hanging cross-stitch samplers I had made for Gary as a baby. One celebrated the first moon landing in 1969—the year Gary was born,” she recalled. “When I looked closely, there again was the date July 20. I was gob smacked! God had me create another tangible piece of ‘evidence’ that my son was indeed safe with Him years before he passed away.”

Robin shares that although her grief for Gary will never fully heal, this moment became the turning point when she knew without a doubt that Gary was safe in God’s loving arms—and that she was too. Her gratitude for the role Wesley played in Gary’s life inspired her to leave a lasting mark on the ministry.

“I asked if I could do something tangible for Wesley, so I spent several days there painting a mural at the top of the stairwell,” she said. “It’s Jesus as the Good Shepherd holding a lamb and chasing away wolves with his staff. That’s how I felt about Gary being there—Steve and Wesley were his good shepherds.”

The mural remained at the Wesley building on 435 W. State Street until the building was demolished in fall 2025. A photograph of the mural has been preserved and will be displayed in the new Wesley Student Center as a reminder of Gary’s story and the ministry that meant so much to him. 

Today, Robin’s gift to the campaign continues that legacy of gratitude and remembrance.

“Gary has been gone for a long time now, and there are so many things I never had the chance to give him—birthday gifts, Christmas presents, all the little things parents get to do for their children over the years. Supporting Wesley is one way I can still give something in his honor. Out of all the heartbreak of losing Gary, Wesley was there. And that has meant everything to me.”

Through Robin’s generosity, Gary’s story will continue to shape the future of Wesley Foundation, ensuring more students find the same welcome, guidance, and care that Gary experienced there.

To join Robin Church in building a lasting legacy of welcome for generations of Wesley students to come, we invite you to support A Legacy of Welcome: The Campaign for Wesley Foundation today.