He was born and raised in the Walla Walla valley and attended DeSales High School. He graduated from Gonzaga University, spent four years in the U.S. Navy and then returned to law school at Gonzaga. While attending law school he met his wife Marilyn, who is currently the Director of Financial Aid at Whitman College. Gary and Marilyn have two sons, Mark and Bryan. Gary is currently a member of Walla Walla Exchange Club and is on the Audit and Development and Marketing Committees. Shannon Bergevin