Gary C. Hatcher

GARY C. HATCHER
January 2, 1943 ~ July 2, 2013

Beloved by many friends and family, our Gary Hatcher passed on from this life on July 2. His calm, gentle, open heart, unconditional love and non-judgmental nature were part of what made him such an honorable and good man and so beloved.
Gary was born in the small farming town of Aberdeen, SD on Jan. 2, 1943, where he spent his early years. His father was superintendent of the local school. Gary loved visiting and helping his Grandparents Harm on their nearby dairy farm. His family moved to Vancouver, WA when Gary was 13 years old. He attended local schools, graduated from Hudson's Bay High School, and attended Clark College.
Most of his working life was spent with the U.S. Postal Service, where he was always cheerful and helpful. He will be remembered and missed by his many customers and co-workers.
A retired postman, musician, fisherman, and Harley rider, all of these activities were dear to Gary. However, his children, grandchildren, his wife, and his band of brothers in music came first.
Gary is survived by his daughter, Kimberly Nickel; sons, Matthew and Clinton Hatcher; step-son, Logan Dillard; along with his grandchildren, Zachary, Rachel, Alexa, Vanessa, and Charlie Hatcher, and Keith, Kyle, Jenna and Adam Nickel, and Raphael and Julia Dillard; his wife, Dana Welch; and his musician band of brothers, Tom Hardt, Jerry Landers, and Gus Flunker. He is also survived by his sisters, Cheryl Dutro and Pat Knipper; and brother, Craig Hatcher. Gary will also be missed by many other family members and friends who loved him dearly.
Gary's energy has survived to contribute,
we believe, to the love and well-being of us all
and the universe as a whole.
It was an honor for Dana, as his wife, to love and care for Gary throughout his terminal illness with ALS for the past four years.
In lieu of flowers or cards, donations may be made to the ALS Association-Oregon and SW Washington Chapter, 700 NE Multnomah St., #870, Portland, OR, 97232. The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization solely dedicated to fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease. Without their constant encouragement, including tears and laughter at their monthly support meetings, we don't know how we would have made it through this very difficult time. They also loaned us a vast amount of expensive equipment, changing as Gary's disease progressed. We will forever be grateful to them.
Gary asked that his friends and family have parties for him while he was here to enjoy them, so no memorial service is planned.
Please sign his guest book at: www.columbian.com/obits.