Obituary

Galen Alvord “Gale” Biery, Jr., age 80, passed away at home in Fairhaven on January 25, 2021 following a lingering battle with cancer. He was born May 26, 1940 in Bellingham. He grew up with his parents, Galen, Sr. and Dorothy (Wilson), and siblings on 13^th Street in Fairhaven. He attended Lowell Grade School, Fairhaven Junior High, and graduated from Bellingham High School in 1958. Soon thereafter, he joined the Marine Corps Reserves and remained a life-long fan of the Corps. Semper Fi! Galen lived in Seattle for a while, working at Boeing and completing his Electrical Engineering Degree at UW. Most of his working career involved using his talents as an electrical engineer, designing and building microprocessor controllers for numerous projects, from windmill systems to exercise equipment. His large house on Lake Samish was a mainstay for family gatherings for many years, and he was known by some as “Grandpa on the Lake”. With his companion, Linda Kay Lawson, he loved to travel, and made Caribbean cruises, sailed the Danube River and the Croatian coast, and toured to Cuba, as well as visiting Gettysburg, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. He was also into genealogy, attending several conferences, taking genealogical courses in Salt Lake City, and was a past President of the Whatcom Genealogical Society. In no particular order, he enjoyed PBS, Peanuts, Dagwood’s Sofa, a morning banana, carrot cake, and of course, the Seahawks. Like his father, he has always loved local history and recently has been thrilled with the progress of the “new” Fairhaven Hotel, bringing tears and lots of memories. Galen was preceded in death by his older sister Joan in 1945, and his parents. He is survived by his companion, Linda Lawson, his daughters Kristin Wester (David) of Lynnwood and Malia Bolen (Ron Papai) of Oceanside, CA, adopted sons Bob Long (Kim), Ken Biery, Jamie Provias (Stacey), Kevin Biery (Sue), Ted Biery (Jackie), and Ron Biery, eleven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and one great great granddaughter. Also surviving are his sister Pat Nason (Harold) of Ferndale and brother Ed Biery of Silverdale, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Memorial donations may be made to: Whatcom Museum Photo Archive Center, 201 Prospect St., Bellingham, WA, 98225.  Due to Covid, no services are planned at this time.