Gary Waldie

Gary Waldie, age 93, passed away at his home Friday, January 16, 2026.

Gary was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Joanne, and his sisters Beverly Dawson and Scarlett Griffen.

Gary was a student at Phoenix Union High School and later attended Phoenix College. Along with a group of friends, Gary enlisted in the Air Force at the time of the Korean War. After all the training and testing, he became a fighter pilot. Just before he finished at Nellis AF Base, they signed the armistice that ended the war. Gary then became a member of the Air National Guard in Phoenix, where he flew the Lockheed F104 Starfighter.  This jet held the speed record and was known as “The Missile with a Man In It.”  He loved flying it.

Gary was set up on a blind date with Joanne during his last year at Nellis and they were engaged the following Christmas. They attended ASU together where he got his degree in Managerial Accounting.  While attending ASU, he worked a full-time job at Air Research as well as flying the required number of hours for the Guard while carrying 18 credit hours.

Gary was an avid hunter. Whether it was hunting big game in Africa or Elk, birds and turkeys in Arizona, he loved it all. He even hunted the bottom of the ocean for lobster when he got certified as a scuba diver along with his sons, David and Doug.

Gary was always building or creating something. He became a home builder and built many homes and cabins.  One of his hobbies was welding. He worked on many projects including gates, fences, tables, a staircase, a chandelier, railings for porches, boat trailers, quad trailers, & cabinets. He built porch swings for his grandchildren and made them sets of cooking knives. He even built Joanne two sets of golf clubs as well as building their first boat out of a fiberglass kit in their carport.

Gary loved to travel.  His first job out of the Air Force was as an Insulation Estimator. He was an estimator for a year and a half after which he was made president of the company.  He resigned after a few years and he and his partners opened their own insulation business. It was successful enough that for 25 years he earned paid trips from a supplier which allowed him to travel all over the world with his sweetheart, Joanne.

Gary is also survived by his children, David, Diane and Doug who will miss their Father greatly.

Graveside Services will be held at 10:00am on Friday, Jan 30, at Greenwood Memory Lawn located in Phoenix.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.