Gary Randall Bunn

Gary Randall Bunn, a devoted father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cherished friend to many, and loving partner to Betty Halbrooks Michaels passed away peacefully at Hospice House at Huguley, Burleson, Texas on April 6, 2024, with his daughter Jessica Bunn at his side.

Gary was born in Ft. Worth, Texas on February 28, 1954, to Elmer and Jenny Bunn. He and his only sibling, Alan Bunn, shared the same birthday, and Gary would say he was Alan’s third birthday present. Growing up, Gary was a member of The Boys Scouts of America and an avid baseball player. He acquired his passion for hunting and fishing as a young boy from annual hunting outings with his dad and brother.

In 1972, Gary graduated from Haltom High School, Haltom City, Texas. He attended Texas Tech University from 1972-1976 where he graduated with a BS in Wildlife Management. At Tech he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and remained life-long friends with many of his Fiji brothers. During a summer internship in 1975, Gary worked for Montana Fish & Game in Red Lodge, Montana. It was there he became committed to someday working in the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.

Gary married Adrian McCutcheon in July 1977, and Gary quickly began his 32-year career with the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Wildlife Biologist at Lake of the Pines near Longview, Texas. But the Pacific Northwest was beckoning him. In 1980, he transferred to Little Goose Dam on the Snake River near Dayton, WA where he worked as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist Supervisor. In 1984, Gary became Assistant Manager of Resource Management of Granite-Goose Project in Clarkston, WA. In 1991, he was hired as Assistant Chief of Environmental Resources Northwestern Division in Portland, Oregon. He retired after serving as the Chief of Environmental Resources Northwestern Division from 2005-2009.

Gary was definitely not an “all work, no play” kind of guy. During his years in Longview, TX he enjoyed playing men’s slow pitch softball, hunting, and fishing. While living in Dayton and Clarkston, WA, Gary continued playing softball (he was a fierce competitor), and enjoyed snow skiing, snowmobiling, and white-water rafting. He also became an active member of the Lewiston Idaho Back Country Horseman’s Association and loved trail riding, camping, and volunteering on many of the projects the group tackled in the state parks and wilderness areas. If you knew Gary, you know his favorite pastime of elk hunting in the Blue Mountains was what he would rather be doing before anything else. He loved those mountains and all the great times he spent with his hunting buddies at camp. So much so, that he continued to hunt and camp there for 3 decades. He was a great story teller and many of his stories were of these mountains. Washington held his heart and even during his years of work in Portland, he chose to live in Brush Prairie, WA and commute.

By far, Gary’s greatest joy was raising his daughter. He and Adrian welcomed their only child, Jessica Diane Bunn, in 1982. Over the years, Gary shared his love of horses and sports with Jessica, and taught her the importance of being responsible, hardworking, and a good friend to others.

Gary and Adrian divorced amicably in 2006, and after retirement, Gary lived in Las Vegas, NV and at his home in Brush Prairie, WA. He moved in 2016 to Grapevine, TX to be forever with his beloved partner and soul mate, Betty. During his final years in Texas, he bought a small ranch where he welcomed friends and shared his love of all things outdoors, fishing, and hunting, with two of his greatest joys in life, his grandchildren Leila and Madan Grove.

Gary is survived by his loving daughter Jessica Bunn (Nik Sutter) and grandchildren Leila and Madan Grove, Queen Creek, AZ; devoted partner Betty Halbrooks Michaels of Grapevine, TX; brother Alan Bunn (Lynn Bunn), Mineola, TX; niece Amy Bunn, nephew Matt Bunn (Lara Bunn), and nephews, nieces, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial service to remember and honor Gary will be held at 2:00 PM, April 29, 2024, at Beaty Funeral Home, in Mineola, TX, with interment following immediately at Roselawn Cemetery. Friends and family are welcome to attend and share personal memories of his life at the memorial, as well as a reception at The Jalapeño Tree restaurant following the burial.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either of the following:

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: https://www.rmef.org/donate/memorials-honoraria/ or by calling (406) 523-4500 (mention the donation is related to his memorial) or by check to: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Memorials & Honoraria, 5705 Grant Creek Rd., Missoula, MT 59808.

Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1422/20/form.aspx?sid=1422&gid=1003&pgid=3207&cid=8425&bledit=1&dids=869 , or by check payable to Texas Tech Foundation to: Box 42123, Lubbock, Texas 79409-2123 with a note of memorial for Gary Bunn.

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