Gary Bourdette Wells

Gary attended Anaheim High School and went on to study at California State University, Long Beach. He built a long and respected career as an industrial engineer with Lockheed Martin, where his intelligence, precision, and work ethic were deeply valued.

He was married to the love of his life, Velna C. Wells (Strayer), with whom he shared many years of devotion and partnership.

Gary was a man who loved to build and create. He had a lifelong passion for working with wood, crafting beautiful custom pepper mills, and restoring and maintaining several vintage cars over the years. Earlier in life, he built and raced boats, a pursuit that reflected his adventurous spirit and technical skill. One of his most cherished memories was teaching his son Evert how to weld and working together to build a car trailer—moments that captured Gary’s generosity, patience, and love of teaching.

Gary was preceded in death by his son, Gary B. Wells, Jr., and his son-in-law, Robert Stewart.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Velna C. Wells; his son, Evert S. Wells, daughter-in-law Aurora; his daughter, Laurie L. Stewart; and his grandsons, Bryan Stewart and Kevin Stewart, all of whom will deeply miss his guidance, kindness, and steady presence.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Westminster Memorial Park, Garden of Apostles.

Gary will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, engineer, and craftsman—someone who found joy in building things with his hands and sharing what he knew with those he loved.