Obituary of Garry Bybee

Garry Bybee, of Nyssa, Oregon, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, March 12th, 2020, after fighting a short battle with cancer. He was 81 years old.

To honor his life and accomplishments, a celebration is planned for family and friends at 6pm on Saturday, May 9th at Fiesta Farms warehouse and loading docks in Nyssa, Oregon.

Garry Dee Bybee was born in Rupert, Idaho in 1938. He was the youngest of 4 children born to Sherman Parley Bybee and Virginia Rose (Chamberlain). He had two older brothers, Jay and Ray, and one older sister Colleen (Froerer).

In 1940, the Sherman Bybee family moved to the Nyssa area to farm. Growing up on the family farm, milking cows, setting water, and driving tractor, Garry came to the decision that perhaps farming was not what he wanted to do for a living.

After graduating Nyssa High School (and numerous speeding citations from local police), Garry attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in business and a minor in Economics. Upon graduating from USU, he received a scholarship to New York University but decided to pursue a career at Thiokol Chemical Corp. in Tremonton, Utah where he worked on the Minute Man Missile Program.

It was at that time he met Ronda Faye Buttars, a Logan native and they were married in 1963. After living in Logan for 2 years, they moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where Garry began a managerial job with Motorola where he worked for 7 years. During this time they had two boys, Todd in 1968 and Marc in 1971.

In the fall of 1973 Garry and his family moved back to Nyssa and began working alongside his father and brother at Fiesta Farms Cooperative. In 1974 they welcomed a daughter, Misty, into the family. They eventually bought out the other owners of the co-op and it became a family business. Along with Fiesta Farms and Bybee Farms, Garry also owned a manufacturing business in Ontario named Oregon Wood I (pron. WOOD-eye) that produced floor and wood trusses.

Garry actively participated in the community in a number of ways, including his involvement with the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, with the Malheur Planning and Zoning Commission, membership in the Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), and as many still remember him, a Nyssa Little League baseball coach.

When he allowed himself time to enjoy life away from his many work and community roles, Garry enjoyed traveling with Ronda. They took many trips with their family and with friends from the National Onion Association. They traveled the world to places like Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, and Mexico. Closer destinations like Banff Canada, Carlsbad Caverns, San Francisco, and S. Utah made for memorable family road trips.

Garry also enjoyed golfing and allowed himself more and more time over the years to get out and play with his friends. It was a great joy to him. He also enjoyed annual pheasant hunts every year with his brother Jay and other family members. They would all gather each year on opening day, and it was usually Garry that came home with the most birds.

Garry was proceeded in death by his wife Ronda, his parents, both older brothers, and his great-grandson Oliver Jackson Berdowski. He is survived by son Todd and Lynn (Faulkenberry) of Portland, Oregon, son Marc and Tamara Bybee of Nyssa, Oregon, and daughter Misty Bybee and Travis Page of Nyssa, Oregon.

He is also survived by many grandchildren: Brianna Berdowski (Neil), James Yuta Bybee (Ashley Hagon), Lily Faye Bybee, Olivia Rose Page, Andrew David Faulkenberry, Justin Robert Faulkenberry, Garrison Marshall Page, and Layla Leigh Page. Great-Grandchildren include Henry, Evelyn and Franklin Berdowski.

Our family would like to thank and express our deep appreciation to all the staff at the Fruitland MSTI clinic that put up with Garry (he was known to be a bit of a character, and they did an amazing job putting up with him), and all his friends and family that have been part of his life, especially over these recent difficult times.

In lieu of prepared floral arrangements, the family requests donations of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Ok, not really. But Garry would have really had a good laugh at this. What he would have wanted was for anyone considering buying him flowers to save the money or spend it golfing. 

Arrangements vy Lienkaemper Chapel, Nyssa

 

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