Gary Joseph Martinkus Obituary

Gary Joseph Martinkus attended Eisenhower High School in Yakima, WA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Gary Joseph Martinkus.

Graduation Year	Class of 1964
Date of Passing	Jan 04, 2022
About	Gary was born March 25, 1946 to Zaina and Ed in Seattle and passed away on January 4, 2022 at Toppenish Nursing and Rehab. Gary spent a good deal of his early years with his younger brother Stan on their grandparents’ little farm at the base of Beacon Hill which is now part of I-5. How he loved to chase those chickens. When Gary turned 7 the family moved to Yakima. It was not long until he learned to fish and hunt alongside his Dad and brother. Gary continued to fish and hunt avidly for the rest of his healthy life. If you were ever in his clinic, hopefully you were given the opportunity to see his wall of fish. Gary graduated from Eisenhower HS with the class of 1964. He loved playing football and was very dedicated in his preparation for the season. Gary had an amazing work ethic which was reflected in his pumping iron with his friends when few athletes were doing it and then for fun running up Ahtanum ridge. Not all of his friends and brother thought that was the best way to spend the summer but that work ethic became a hallmark of his life. After graduation he attended YCC for a short time before being accepted at Pacific University in Forest Grove Oregon where he earned his doctorate of optometry. After graduation he spent 4 years as a captain in the Army. He honed his optometric skills at Fort Leavenworth Kansas. After the Army, Gary returned to Yakima and was fortunate to be able to join in practice with Dr Rolly Hieser who Gary had immense respect for. The practice continued to grow and prosper. A significant part of that growth was due to Gary’s dedication to his profession for which he won many awards. Gary was always on the leading edge of optometric care to provide the best care possible for his patients. Gary was also active in our Yakima community especially the Chamber of Commerce where he served a term as President. Gary’s was a life well lived until dementia took its toll. Gary has spent the last 15 years in assisted living or nursing homes. We want to give special thanks to the staff at Dolly’s Loving Care and Toppenish Nursing and Rehab for their outstanding care. Gary is survived by his brother Stan/Pam, nephews Matt, and Andy/Natalie, niece Tiffany Edler/ Dusty and 7 grand nephews. There will be no formal service. A family gathering has been planned to celebrate Gary’s life.