GREECE, N.Y. — Gary Beikirch, a Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient from Greece, passed away Sunday at the age of 74 of pancreatic cancer.

Many in the community regarded Beikirch as a hometown hero.

But to his three children, he was just "Dad."

“He was the rock of the family,” his daughter Stephanie Zimmerli said. “You knew you could count on him for anything. [He was] extremely loving.”

Beikirch leaves behind his wife, children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. It’s a family he cared for dearly.

“When you spoke to him, you had his full attention,” Zimmerli said. “And [there was] just immense love and caring from him, and also strength. He was a quiet man, but he had such strength and he imparted that to anyone he spoke to.”

Zimmerli says that strength came from faith.

“The legacy that I would say he’d want to leave was for his honor, meaning God," she said. "So I’d say that, because I know that’s what he would say.”

His daughter, Sarah Hinds, hopes everyone can learn from Beikirch’s strength.

“He would always say to live a life of significance, and make sure what you’re doing has a purpose,” Hinds said. “That motivates me to always want to have purpose in everything I do, everyone I meet and everybody I talk to, to really point them to Jesus.”

The family says the loss hurts, but they’re grateful for all of the community’s love and support.