Gary Clark Colburn ’59 was born on July 14, 1937, in Sacramento to Marie Teresa (Hinds) and Harold Earl Colburn. Gary attended grammar school in Plymouth and high school at Amador County High. He was a popular student and president of his senior class. After graduation Gary went on to college, attending SCU and McGeorge School of Law. While still in college, Gary married Patricia Laughton of Amador County and started a family. He never practiced law but instead chose a career in the gaming industry, moving his young family to Lake Tahoe, California. Gary worked for Bill Harrah for five years before settling in Kings Beach, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. It was while working on the North Shore that Gary met and married his second wife, Marye Rossi. Dealing cards in the casino was perfect work for Gary, who enjoyed interacting with people and making them laugh. a polished and professional dealer, Gary was quick with a joke and believed that work should be “fun.” He returned to Plymouth in the late 1980s to care for his ailing parents and there he remained, in the big Victorian on Main Street, until he moved to Western Slope Health Center only weeks before his passing. Gary loved his hometown and all the folks there. He was elected to the city council, serving two four-year terms. His focus was keeping the arroyo ditch flowing—and always had the town’s best interest at heart. He was instrumental in getting the gazebo built in the city park and helped build, with his own hands, the back entrance to the Amador County Fairgrounds. He took the time to water by hand the roses that had been planted there, honoring the memory of his departed father who worked diligently to bring the fair to Plymouth decades before. Most recently you could find Gary sitting on the bench in front of the big Victorian talking to passersby, friend or stranger alike, sharing a joke or a story. At age 81, he died on Jan. 17, 2019, at the Western Slope Health Center in Placerville, California. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Marla Moreno. He is survived by sons Gregory of San Jose, Keith of Seattle, and Monte of North Lake Tahoe; three grandchildren, one great-grandchild; brothers Hal and Jon Colburn; sister Nan Wolf; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. The big Victorian has gone dark, but Gary will be remembered by all who knew him and missed by many.

23 May 2019