Gary Barnes
Gary Barnes

Obituary of Gary Barnes

Gary Barnes, 63, of Eagle, passed away October 9, 2012, at his home following a 1 1/2 year battle with cancer. Funeral services will be held at the Eagle Christian Church at 12:00 noon on Sat., October 13, 2012. Interment will be at Dry Creek Cemetery. Gary was born in Caldwell, ID on December 9, 1948, to Lester and Thelma Barnes. He graduated from Caldwell High School in 1967 as the top student in his class. He received a BA in accounting from BSU in 1971, and passed the CPA that same year. Beginning in 1971, his entire career was spent in finance and cash management for Boise Cascade Corp. During the last 15 years at Boise Cascade, he was a financial analyst in the cash management department, retiring in 2005. However, he was asked to return part-time to the cash management department late in 2006 for a few months. That part-time job lasted until July of 2012. In 1971, Gary married his life partner, Debbie (Hutchings) Barnes, a marriage spanning 41 years. They were blessed with a son, Zach and a daughter, Amy. He was an avid sportsman and loved the outdoors, particularly the Owyhee Canyon lands. His hunting and fishing adventures were numerous and successful. The chukar partridge population in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada will surely rise now that he is no longer hunting. Gary and Debbie enjoyed traveling with friends, making 14 trips to Hawaii, as well as Mexico and the Cook Islands. His favorites included hunting, fishing, softball, baseball, friends and chocolate chip cookes. He was a coach to Zach and never missed Zach's or Amy's activities. Gary was a gentle man, and a gentleman. He was a man of few words, but there were few lives he did not touch. His dry sense of humor and heart of gold brought a smile to many a face. He was kind, honest, loyal and a wonderful friend. He loved his family and grandchildren beyond measure, making a point to attend all their activities. He was incredibly patient, never lost his temper, unbelievably generous and would always make time for others. The friendships he made lasted a lifetime. He is survived by his wife Debbie, son Zach (Kari), grandchildren Preston, Daryn and Blake of Meridian, daughter Amy Blackledge (Tom) of Puyallup, WA. Also surviving Gary is his sister, Sharon, of Spring Valley, OH. He was preceded in death by his mother, father and grandparents. A heartfelt thanks to Dr. Paul Montgomery and the incredible staff at St. Luke's MSTI, as well as St. Luke's Hospice, with special thanks to Rhea Cook who cared with great knowledge and compassion for our beloved Gary. Donations may be made in name to St. Luke's MSTI or St. Luke's Hospice.
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