Gary Leach was born April 12, 1942, in Vancouver, Wash., four months after the Pearl Harbor attack as his parents worked in the shipyards supporting the war effort. He peacefully returned to the Universe on Thursday, June 10, 2021, with his devoted wife by his side.
He was the second of eight children born to Frank and Matilda Leach. He spent most of his childhood living in the Caribel area outside of Kamiah. He went to a one-room schoolhouse in Caribel until it burned down (he always denied involvement), then he went to Grandview School.
When Gary was 12, the family moved to Boise and he attended Ustick School and Boise High School. After not attending regularly and riding his motorcycle down the hallway, he and the school parted ways prior to graduation. He later completed his GED and attended Boise Junior College. He earned a degree in welding and excelled in that field. He was a jack-of-all-trades, a welder, logger, truck driver and millwright.
He was married twice before he found the love of his life, Merry, in 1975. They married at Church of the Wildwood in Featherville, Idaho, on March 21, 1976. As newlyweds, they followed work with the truck, moving 10 times in 18 months throughout Utah and Arizona before returning to Idaho. Their first daughter, April, was born in Boise in 1979 shortly before they moved to Alaska for the first time.
He enjoyed driving truck for a living, and he was proud to drive the largest and longest lowboy in Alaska at the time. They returned to Boise, where their second daughter, Amanda, was born in 1982, then back to Alaska the family went until 1985, when they settled down in Kamiah for good. He worked as a millwright for a number of years at the local lumber mill.
Gary was known for his incredible sense of humor and his hilarious stories of life’s adventures. He had a big heart and especially had a soft spot for animals and kids. He loved family, restoring classic cars, camping, fishing, country music and good Westerns, and he hated horses and ladders. He was a dreamer and a schemer, where he tried his hand at gold mining and raising ostriches, always looking for the next “get rich” opportunity.
He was preceded in death by his father, Frank; mother, Matilda; sisters-in-law, Connie and Abby; brother-in-law, Steve; and pet bobcat, BC. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Merry, which was his longest relationship, aside from his iconic mustache; daughters, April (Keith Blankenship) of Kamiah and Amanda (Keith Benz) of Coeur d’Alene; two daughters from a previous marriage, Mike and Connie; seven siblings, Dale (Rose), Glen (Dani), Beth, Demma, Jack, Kim (Joy) and Ruth (Mike); lifelong friends Kathy Clymens and Curtis Purdy; a very extensive family.
“By God, Woodrow; it’s been one hell of a party.” — Gus McCrae
A celebration of Gary’s life will take place at 1 p.m. June 19 in the Kooskia City Park. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Animal Ark of Idaho County, P.O. Box 412, Grangeville, Idaho, 83530.
