Obituary of Gary Lee Bickford

Gary Lee Bickford ~ 66 Vancouver, Washington February 26, 1950 ~ January 16, 2017 It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Gary Lee Bickford, who passed away on January 16th, in his home in Vancouver Washington. Gary was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1950 where he spent his childhood before moving to Azusa, California where he dazzled in the roller derby rink as a star for the Los Angeles T-birds. He spent his adult life on the golf courses and rivers of Iowa, Oregon and Washington, throwing countless tennis balls for his four-legged best friends and beautifying and restoring the Oregon Caves, Whitman Mission and Fort Vancouver National Parks. When he wasn’t in his uniform he most often could be found in his signature attire of Oregon Ducks gear or Tommy Bahama shirt, dreaming of his next vacation with a smile on his face. He was preceded in death by his father, George Bickford. He is survived by his mother, Leona Freel; his daughters Champayne Furber, Carrie Gonzales and LesLee Bickford; grandchildren Lee, Jaden, Blake, EmmaLynne, Marlie, Andren and Henrik; and his brothers Larry and Terry. A memorial will be held at the Pearson Air Museum Tex Rankin Theater at Fort Vancouver, 1115 E 5th Street, Vancouver, WA on February 25th at 2pm. The family asks that no flowers be sent. Instead, donations can be made to your local Humane Society or animal rescue, Stand with Standing Rock or any organization working to combat the damage Donald Trump will soon do to our beloved country.