Gary Francis Deming

March 12, 1941 - March 15, 2005

A Catholic Prayer Service for Gary Francis Deming, 64, of Vacaville, will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Vaca Hills Chapel Funeral Home.

Father Michael McFadden of St. Mary's will officiate. Burial with full military honors to follow at the Vacaville-Elmira Cemetery.

Gary died March 15, 2005, in Vacaville.

Born March 12, 1941, in Inglewood, he was a resident of Vacaville. Gary served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. He loved to travel and therefore enjoyed his

service years. He was proud that he was able to stand on every continent in the world except Antarctica.

He had three tours of Vietnam as a dental medical technician and after, went on missions in the area as a backup medic. He served in Thailand from 1969 to 1970 and during that time he was sent with a battalion of Thai Marines into a village in Laos where the water system had been destroyed. At that time, he was again serving as a med-tech. During this particular mission, while repairs were being done to the water system, he helped deliver a baby in the village.

He cross trained into the heavy equipment operations field in 1972 and spent the last eight years of his career at Travis Air Force Base. He loved his work and was always happy that he had changed career fields.

One particular assignment Gary was pleased to accomplish and was very challenging job was an 8-month tour with PRIME BEEF TEAM 77-8 to the Truk Islands of Guam and the Territory of the Pacific Islands. This was from July 1977 to February 1978. This had been an 8-year project to build a road of crushed coral around the island of FAFAN, so the people of the island could export fruits to Guam to produce income for the island.

The road was completed six months ahead of schedule by this team. Prior to the U.S.A.F., taking over the work, both the Marine Corp and Navy services had participated in the project. The 9-man team lived on the island of DUBLON and traveled over to FEFAN by boat twice daily.

After retirement from the U.S.A.F. in 1979, he then worked as a crane operator in shop 02 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard for 12 years.

Gary was a devoted member of the Vacaville Elks Lodge 2638 and also the Vacaville Moose Lodge 1967. He loved RVing, fishing, crabbing, and all travel in general. Rolling dice at the lodges was a "must" for him and all his friends. He was a devoted and loving husband and father. His family and friends were the most important things to him. His family was very lucky to have spent so many years with such a special and caring man. He will be dearly missed by family and all that knew him.

Gary is survived by his beloved wife of 34 years, Dianne of Vacaville; daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Scott Myers of Roseville; and son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Valerie Deming of Folsom. His grandchildren, Kevin and Stephanie Myers. His aunts and uncles, Chuck and Audrey Christison of Minnesota and Earl and Nook Schwartzhoff of Minnesota. Several cousins who reside in Minnesota and Wisconsin. His beloved niece and husband, Joe and Kelly Gregg and their daughters, Sierra and Melanie of Oregon. Mother-in-law and husband, Otto and Mary Maly of Tulare; brother-in-law and wife, Robert and Pat Briggs of Arcadia; sister-in-law, Anne James and a special man in her life that Gary greatly admired, "Al."

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the C.H.E.M.P.I. Foundation, c/o Vacaville Elks Lodge, 302 Parker St., Vacaville, 95688.