Gailen Ray Waggoner

Gailen " Butch" Waggoner, 81, of Apple Valley passed away peacefully on June 7, 2025. He was a cat lover with 9 lives of his own having survived with a heart transplant for nearly 20 years. An avid fisherman, he especially enjoyed deep sea fishing off the coast of Alaska and Costa Rica.

Gailen was born on July 10, 1943 in Hawthorne, California to Horrace and Addie Waggoner and lived in Southern California all his life. As a young man he was on the high school golf team and was an outfielder in the American Legion Baseball organization. After college , he had a long fulfilling career with General Electric rising through the ranks during the space age. As the Site Manager for GE in Palmdale, he was proud to have assisted with the development of the space shuttle program.

In retirement, Gailen could be seen around town at estate sales and chatting up people at various establishments. He enjoyed his family and close circle of neighbors and saw his doctors so frequently that he considered them friends too.

Gailen is survived by his wife of 40 years, Sharon Waggoner, daughter Lori (Kevin) Anderson, brother Donald Smelser, sister -in-law Barbara Smelser, grandchildren Jake (Alayne) Anderson, and Kellie (Jarrod) Wong, as well as many other cherished family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday June 18, 2025 at 11:30 am at Sunset Hills Mortuary and Memorial Park, 24000 Waalew Rd., Apple Valley, Ca, 92307.