Gary Graves worked for tribes and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for nearly 40 years, retiring as Fisheries Director in 2015.
Here is Gary’s obituary:
He retired in 2015 from the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission as director of fishery services, where he worked from 1976 until 2015. He was fortunate to have a career that he genuinely loved and believed in – to help preserve the natural resources that made his passion for fishing possible.
There wasn’t much that Gary did not do in his busy life. He was The Captain of the “No Wedgies” ski race team with City League for several years. He loved golf, tennis, football games, snorkeling, hiking, camping, cooking and holiday celebrations, but above all, fishing. He was known for his ability to catch fish, ranging from a 93 lb halibut or 34 lb chinook in Neah Bay, to catching the limit of steelhead in one day on a river – it didn’t matter if it was fresh or saltwater. A great day for Gary at Birch Bay would include taking his boat out filled with baited crab pots, followed by a dig of steamers or horse clams, then out in the boat to collect crab, cook them, make chowder, eat crab and put the pots out at night to start the process over again.
