Gary Lee Priest

Gary L. Priest of Ft. Collins, CO died March 31, 2023, in Ft. Collins, CO. He was born on December 14, 1945 to Merle A. and Louise (Seif) Priest in Long Beach, CA. His family moved to Denver, CO in October 1953. He attended Cherry Hills Elementary, Cherry Creek Junior and Senior High, graduating in June 1964. Gary graduated from the University of Colorado/Boulder in August 1968 with a BS in Advertising from the School of Journalism. He enlisted in the U.S Army in November 1968 and was deployed to South Vietnam in May 1969 and attached to the First Armored Cavalry, Americal Division. He was seriously wounded in action while attempting to rescue several men in an enemy ambush. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Purple Heart. It took several years to recover from his wounds with limited success. Gary was an advertising copywriter of television commercials in Northern California until moving to Hollywood to pursue a career in motion pictures. He earned a Masters of Arts degree in Motion Picture Production in 1977 from Columbia College in Hollywood. His best friend, Michael Renaud, helped him get into the major studio system. Gary worked at Warner Bros. ( “Dukes of Hazzard”), Orion TV (“Lottery”), Universal Studios (“Sixteen Candles”), prime-time trailer sound editor at Universal Studios and other credits. He met Cherie Richards, the film librarian, at Universal Studios in 1983. They married in November 1988 and moved to Ft. Collins to start a new life together. Gary worked for Nutri-Turf, a facility of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. in charge of Safety and Environmental Compliance. He was also the film critic for the Coloradan reviewing feature films in a weekly column for over five years. They both retired in 2008. Gary enjoyed his family, five basset hounds, two horses and three cats, reading and writing. He is survived by his wife of 30 wonderful years, his older brother, James Michael and his wife, Darlene (Brown) Priest, Houston, TX; Cherie's big and wonderful family including nieces and nephews Clinton Robison, Christie Bell, Katherine Mandell, Jonathan Robison, eight grandchildren, and his Bichons, Stella and Lily. A Celebration of Life was held at the Ft. Collins Country Club on April 7, 2023. Burial will take place, with full military honors, at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C.

Tributes

Gary Lee Priest

December 14, 1945 - March 31, 2023