Gary Lee Morford

December 24, 1948 - February 28, 2021

On Sunday, February 28, 2021 Gary Lee Morford (72), our loving husband, dad, grandfather, and brother, went to be with the Lord. Gary was born December 24, 1948 in Toppenish, Washington to Frank and Jean Morford. He attended Toppenish and Zillah schools. He met his high school sweetheart, Carolin Krieger Morford, in 1968 at Zillah High School. They were married June 5, 1971, and were set to celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. Between 1973 and 1979 they were blessed with four children: Gary “Daniel,” Amber Dawn, Jamie Joy, and Timothy Joel “T.J.” Gary worked at SnoKist and Stadleman’s, before starting his job as a millwright at Tree Top in Selah in 1979. He spent 33 years at Tree Top, retiring in 2012. He was a member of the Christian Worship Center in Zillah, and made a commitment to serve the Lord early in his marriage. His commitment grew throughout the years, and the legacy of his faith was instilled in his children and grandchildren. Gary was a man of many interests. He spent time coaching track at Zillah High School from 1990-91, and was a huge Zillah sports fan. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and archery with his brother, son, and sons-in-law. He passed on his love of archery to his grandchildren, and had a large hand in creating the youth program for the Kamiakin Roving Archers. He also loved building things in his shop, especially if it involved making a project with one of his grandkids. Gary and Carolin enjoyed traveling, especially with their longtime friends Dan and Dianne Fergus. They took adventures to Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii, San Francisco, California, and Reno, Nevada, along with numerous other excursions along the way. He is survived by his loving wife Carolin, son Dan (Michelle) Morford of Zillah, daughter Amber (Mike) Carlson of Zillah, daughter Jamie (Keith) Kessler of Albany, Oregon, his sister Nancy (Jerry) Nelson, brother Dennis Morford, and nine grandkids that were his whole world: Chase, Tanner, and Kaden Morford, Madison and Michaela Carlson, Mason, Luke, Derek, and Laci Kessler. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Jean Morford, his sister Janice Williams, his son-in-law Bill W. Schmidt, his in-laws Jim and Norma Krieger,and has finally been reunited with his son T.J. Special thanks to the second floor ICU team at Memorial Hospital in Yakima for all their care and guidance. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 at the Zillah Cemetery on Friday, March 5, 2021. Funeral arrangements are in the care of Valley Hills Funeral Home in Zillah. Please practice safe social distance protocols. Expressions of sympathy may be made in whichever way(s) you wish. Help toward medical expenses would be greatly appreciated, and can be donated to Valley Hills in Zillah c/o Carolin Morford.