Gary Reedy
Gary Reedy
Gary Reedy died on January 6, 2016. The son of Robert and Donna Reedy, Gary grew up in the East Bay, in Pinole, California. He graduated cum laude from Golden Gate University with a B.A. degree in the Administration of Justice. He received a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oregon in 1988. Gary worked for Ada County for more than twenty-five years, first as a law clerk for a judge, and then as a Deputy Public Defender.
Gary was a man who believed in justice and redemption. He carried his ideals into the real world. He believed in the civil rights of his clients, and in the human rights of all people. He was compassionate, respectful, and hard-working. He was understanding and sensitive to others, especially those with different abilities.
His public life was a reflection of his private life. He was a faithful and warm-hearted husband to his wife, Phoebe, with whom he recently celebrated twenty-four years of marriage. He was also a patient and gentle father to their daughter, Elizabeth.
Gary was a thoughtful man. He was well read. He loved books from the time he was a child. He liked history, biography, and the curmudgeonly lawyering of Horace Rumpole. Always a man who quietly observed, Gary had a sabre wit. And he could not resist the most awful of puns. He combined his research ability with an interest in ancestry to do extensive genealogical work. After years of research, he wrote a small book on the heritage of his daughter, tracing her forebears back to the Mayflower.
Gary was a lifelong fan of the San Francisco Giants. Following a particularly cold, nighttime double header on San Francisco Bay, he earned one of the badges of honor for a Bay Area resident: the Croix de Candlestick. His baseball dreams came true when, in 2010, the Giants won the World Series for the first time in more than fifty years. The Giants made him a happy man again in 2012 and 2014.
In his bachelor years, Gary traveled in his native California and rode up the West Coast on his motorcycle. In recent years, he traveled to Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. He took up downhill skiing in his fiftieth winter. He was a consummate host, always ready with a bowl of chili and a glass of champagne. He was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.
Gary dueled with an aggressive squamous cell carcinoma for twenty years. He fought this battle with dignity and without complaint. Gary had excellent care from the physicians and staff at SWIENT and MSTI. In the end, cancer won and ended Gary’s life.
Gary was preceded in death by his mother, Donna Reedy, and daughter, Julianna. He is survived by his father, Robert Reedy, his wife, Phoebe Smith, their daughter, Elizabeth, his brother, Craig Reedy (Cindy), and sister, Debbie DeWitt (Bill). He is also survived by his delightful aunts, Bonnie and Kathy, and the cousins he loved dearly: Patty, Colleen, Michael, Nancy, Terry, Ruthie, John, and Gina.
Gary’s friends and colleagues stood by him and by his family throughout the last months of his illness. They made sure that he knew he was not forgotten. With letters, messages, phone calls, visits, excursions, and meals, they showed Gary how much love and respect he had earned in this world. His family is thankful to his friends and colleagues at the Ada County Courthouse, as well as to those at the Boise City Attorney’s Office. A certain Cardinals’ fan and a generous Dominican gave special support and comfort through the very end.
During the last five months of his life, Gary was a patient of First Choice Hospice. The nurses and other professionals who cared for Gary treated him with affection and dignity. For this, his family is extremely grateful. The family especially wishes to thank Amy, Michelle, Sherry, Nancy, Jenny, Rose, Kristen, Crystal, and Kara.
The Memorial Service for Gary Reedy will be held at Saint Michael’s Episcopal Cathedral, 518 N. 8th and State Street, Boise, Idaho on Sunday, January 17, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. A reception will follow at the Tuttle House, adjacent to the Cathedral. Gary will be inurned at Pioneer Cemetery in Boise at a later date. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel, Boise. Gary requested that memorials be made to Recreation Unlimited, an adaptive ski program, at P.O. Box 447, Boise, ID 83701.
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