Walt Gary loved the Supply Store at the University of Alabama.

The way his grandmother, Betty Shirley, remembers it, former UA President Robert Witt once went to visit Gary during his shift years ago. Witt and Shirley’s husband, George, were close friends from his time on the UA board of trustees. In fact, Shirley said Witt saw to it that Walt got a job at the store.

“He saw him and said, ‘Bob, I can’t talk to you now. I’m busy,’ ” Shirley said Friday.

Walt, a longtime Alabama fan known to meet with Nick Saban every Thursday during the football season to give his prediction for that Saturday’s game, worked at the Supply Store for 10 years. He died June 6 following a series of health problems. Walt, who had Down syndrome, was 36.

“He had a lot of people that were good to him there,” Shirley said.

Now, the Supply Store is selling merchandise celebrating Gary’s life, all with the phrase “#BeLikeWalt.” Proceeds from the merchandise, which includes T-shirts and buttons, will go toward the Walt Gary Scholarship in Special Education, which will help students who want to major in special education get into college at UA.

“When we were notified that the Walt Gary Scholarship in Special Education was created, our staff wanted to continue Walt’s legacy,” said Bernadette Chavira-Trull, director of the UA Supply Store, in a news release. “We decided to sell a couple of products where 100% of the profits from the sale of the merchandise will benefit the scholarship. This fundraising project would not have been possible without the support of the Gary family and UA.”

Shirley said she and her family have been touched by the outpouring of love and support from the community since Gary’s death.

“We miss him, but we’re doing well,” she said.

Saban was one of the many who have celebrated Gary’s life, calling him one of the most inspirational people he had ever met.

“I always walked out that door much more spiritually uplifted than I came down those steps, and it was all because of Walt and his passion he had for Alabama football, his passion he had for life and, in some kind of way, the way he made you feel to have a lot of gratitude for what you had and the opportunities you had,” Saban said.

Merchandise is only available at UA Supply Store locations and can be bought online at www.universitysupplystore.com.

Reach Drew Taylor at drew.taylor@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.