Gary Evan Barnebey

Gary Evan Barnebey of Lake Forest Park passed away April 6, 2025, of cancer. He was born in Fremont, NE on December 17, 1935 to Hoyt Ralston (HR) and Lois Osie (Nolte) Barnebey. Gary was the second of four boys.

The family moved from Nebraska to Seattle in 1947 when Gary was 11 years old. In Seattle he attended Lowell Middle School, Edmond S. Meany Jr. High School, and graduated from Garfield High School in 1954. His most time-consuming school activity was playing the clarinet in the school band, All-City Band, Garfield Marching Band and later ROTC Band in college. His favorite classes were physics, small gas engines, and geometry. These are classes that served him well all throughout his life.

Gary graduated in 1958 from the University of Washington where he earned a BSEE majoring in Electronics. In his junior year he joined Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

He started to work for The Boeing Company about two months before receiving his degree from the University. He started in technical publications working on the electronic warfare systems manuals for the B-52 Bomber. After graduating he worked in Technical Field Service on the Minuteman program and was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base during the early days of defensive missile systems development and deployment.

During this time Gary joined the Boeing Graduate School program and earned his master’s degree in Business Administration with a Production major at the University of Washington in 1964.

Most of Gary’s remaining career at The Boeing Company involved using computers for simulation studies and new business proposals work. His work included work on the Saturn/Apollo manned space flight program, Manned Space Laboratory proposal, and many military aircraft proposals. During his 22 years at The Boeing Company, Gary was stationed in California, Florida, and Long Island, New York. His final position was to run a 747 flight simulator evaluation lab and participate in the flight test program of the 747 avionics flight computer.

While at Boeing, Gary joint ventured apartment houses with family members and a Boeing friend. The rapid inflation and condominium craze of the late seventies was good to the apartment industry, and Gary retired early from The Boeing Company in 1981.

Post retirement found Gary owner of a Medical Personnel Pool franchise for about two years, doing complete remodeling of several Seattle area homes, and being a partner in a computer company selling computer hardware and specialized computer programs.

Gary was a Reserve U. S. Army officer in the Ordnance Corp. and obtained a permanent rank of Captain. During the 10 years he was in the Army Reserves, his only active duties were for training in 1958-1959 and yearly two-week tours

In July 1988, he married the love of his life, Paula Jean Wagster. They enjoyed traveling across the country collecting Hall China and doing genealogy. Gary and Paula published the book “Hall China Tea and Coffee Pots – The First 100 Years.” Gary and Paula were active for many years selling at antique shows.

They cherished every moment spent with family, whether gathered around the dinner table, adventuring on camping trips, celebrating birthdays and special occasions, or cruising together. They also found great joy in cheering on their great-grandchildren at gymnastic meets, soccer matches, baseball and softball games, as well as attending their musical performances.

Gary is survived by his wife, Paula; known by his two daughters as Dad - Juli (Sammy) Derezes and Joni Barnebey; as Granddad to his two grandchildren - Stephanie Derezes and George (Amanda) Derezes; and as WeeDad to his four great-grandchildren - Samuel, Victoria, Anastasia, and Ariana Derezes. One brother, Warren (Caroline) Barnebey survives him. He is also survived by Merrily and Leslie Barnebey, sisters-in-law, numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Although Gary is gone, he will live in our hearts forever.