Gary Melvin Wahlund was born February 5, 1943 in Eureka. He was the first born of Melvin (Mevie) and Sarah (Luis) Wahlund. He was becoming part of a family with more aunts, uncles and cousins than you can count, as Gary’s grandfather and his brother each had about 14 children. Many of those children were boys so that made for a lot of relatives with the Wahlund name. Before long Gary had four siblings, Jeff, Marcie, Linda and Tina. He grew up when times were simpler with all the kids playing in the streets in his quiet neighborhood and running through the woods nearby. They rode bikes, built forts, played games & ball and had a great time. Several times they went home injured or bleeding, scaring the wits out of their mother, Sarah. They made lifelong friends in their neighborhood and stayed in touch with many right up to the present. He always loved fixing anything that was broken (or not). He told a story that once when he was a kid his Mother caught him taking apart her vacuum cleaner to see how it worked.

Gary and friends spent many days hunting and fishing in local woods and creeks as teenagers. He said he would go duck hunting before school and people that knew his family would pick him up with his shotgun to get him to where he was hunting or back home. Gary’s family moved to Freshwater when he was about 20. He continued to live there till he moved out from home.

When he got old enough to drive, he became interested in cars; working on them, repairing them and building show cars and hot rods. He had several friends, some a few years older, that lived in that built cars. He learned a lot from them about taking an old car and making it into a beautiful show car. One of his best memories was building a beautiful 56 Chevy show car that was his pride and joy and going to car shows and cruising Eureka. The Fresh Freeze was a favorite hangout to meet up with his friends, all in their gorgeous cars. The Eureka Police knew them all and knew their cars. The cops were always on alert for them racing in town or were writing them fix it tickets for some of their custom work. Gary also loved car racing-NASCAR and Sprint car racing. He liked to go to races or watch on TV if he could not go. He had friends that raced or worked around the race tracks. They would meet up after the races and talk all night long.

When Gary graduated from high school he was hired at PG&E after diligently hounding human resources. His dad had said “Get a job, but I don’t want you working in a saw mill”. Gary worked for PG&E at Humboldt Bay power plant, the warehouse and then got on the electric crews. Later he was a line crew foreman and then an electric troubleman until he retired in 1994. Over the years Gary made more friends and knew most everyone in town (or was related to them).

Gary met Wanda Hunter at PG&E and after “going together” for a few years they married in 1992. They lived near Freshwater and bought property out in the hills near Mad River where he could hunt. His dad, Mevie always liked to go and so the three of them spent a lot of time at the cabin. There were friends that had cabins in the area that would stop by and everyone went back and forth for hunting or visits or dinners. He and his friend, Butch Reeves also worked on the 10 miles of dirt road to the cabin with their equipment they had out there. He liked doing that. Gary really enjoyed those years. He always loved friend and family gatherings and the annual Wahlund reunion.

Gary was preceded in death by both of his parents, Mevie and Sarah Wahlund and his stepdaughter, Jennifer Ballew. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Wahlund, his brother Jeff Wahlund, sisters Marcie Parker, Linda Daastol-husband Phil and Tina Emerson-husband Gary; stepson Jason Ballew and 3 step grandchildren. He has many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews that have gone before him and many still remaining in Humboldt County and beyond.

There will be a memorial honoring Gary on November 17 at the Wharfinger Building, Waterfront Drive, Eureka at 1 p.m.