Gary Edward Ziebarth

Gary Edward Ziebarth (1945-2021) was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He died on April 30, 2021 after a 3.5 week battle following a heart attack on Easter Sunday. Our hearts break that we lost him so unexpectedly as he was so full of life and looking forward to reengaging with family and friends after a year spent quarantining.

He is survived by the love of his life and wife of 51 years, Laurie Ziebarth; their daughters, Christy Grabowski and Stephanie Landau; his brother, Jim Ziebarth; and their grandchildren, Anna and Calvin Grabowski and Skye and Gracie Landau. He will also be missed by so many others in his family including son-in-law, Rich Grabowski; sister-in-law, Karen Reitz; brother-in-law, Norm Reitz; nieces, Nichole Eaton and Arika Armstrong; nephews, Norm Reitz II and David Reitz; and too many cousins and extended family members to list.

Gary grew up in Seattle and attended Roosevelt High School followed by the University of Washington, remaining close with many of his childhood friends. Upon graduation from UW, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served our country in Vietnam. After returning home, he immediately married Laurie, who had waited semi-patiently for his return. He began work at GAO (Government Accountability Office) where he stayed until he took an early retirement at age 50. He then spent a brief stint as a black-jack-dealer (a dream job that wasn’t as fun as he’d imagined) while planning their retirement home. He lived his final 25 years in Port Angeles. There he and Laurie spent four years finishing their new house to Gary’s high standards and enjoyed living closer to nature.

He will be remembered as the life of the party and the guy who lived life to the fullest, never backing down from a challenge even if it meant taking a risk. Fortunately, he had a few lives to spare which helped him survive encephalitis in Vietnam, a broken neck after diving into a submerged log, a near-disaster in the septic tank, a racoon bite, and a fall from a ladder while clearing trees from his bluff—always insisting on doing everything himself. We wish he had one more life to spare, so he could have more years with us. In addition to spending time with friends and family—furry ones included—Gary loved golf, photography, and home projects.