Obituary of Gary Thomas Myers

Gary Thomas Myers passed away on November 23, 2020. Gary will be remembered most as a deeply devoted husband, loving father and the best of brothers. He will be remembered by those who know him well for his humor, kindness, generosity and desire to protect and defend his community and country. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Christa; his three daughters, Tracey Bidwell, Lynn Wall and Christine Vietz; and his four brothers, Charles (Chuck), James (Jim), Kim and Michael (Mike). Gary was born on November 11, 1943, a fitting date for a man who later would go on to serve in the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division in the Dominican Republic and with the Jumping Mustangs the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam. He received a Bronze Star for valor among other commendations before ending his military service with a Purple Heart and medical retirement after surviving a debilitating gunshot wound to his neck. Gary spent nearly two years at Madigan Army Medical Center undergoing grueling rehabilitation. Through strength of spirit and a desire to return to service, Gary regained fitness to pursue a career in law enforcement and served various communities in this capacity for over 40 years. His career in law enforcement included service as Chief of Police in Grand Lake, CO, Park Ranger in Glacier National Park, Investigator for Montana Department of Revenue and was working as Investigator for the Montana Department of Justice, Gambling Control, at the time of his retirement. Gary was an accomplished story teller and loved to share stories of his time as an undercover agent with friends and family. His jovial nature earned him the nickname “Gar-bear”. In retirement, Gary pursued various hobbies including woodcarving, traveling, fishing and shooting competitions. By far, his greatest joy was simply spending time with family and was delighted to have six grandchildren, Logan, Anna, Nathaniel, Christian, Jack, and Mark to instill with a sense of mischief and spoil to the best of his ability. Gary was a blessing to those close to him and will be deeply missed by his family and friends. No funeral or memorial service is planned at this time; a celebration of life will be held in the summer. Condolences can be sent to c/o Tracey Bidwell, 8924 Hautly Lane, Valley Springs, CA 95252-9015.