Gary Philip Weber

Gary Philip Weber July 16, 1936 - September 23, 2024. Gary Phillip Weber, age 88, passed away peacefully at home on Monday September 23 2024 surrounded by family. Gary was a creative, loving, artistic person who nurtured a lifelong love for cooking, painting, poetry and the arts.

Gary was born in San Francisco where he spent his early childhood, riding the trolley to grade school as a child. He and his parents, Bob and Irene and older brother Bob, moved to Salem when Gary was in grade school, where Gary attended middle school and high school at North High (which was then Salem High School), graduating from high school at 16 years old. He started college at University of Oregon at 17, graduating with a degree in journalism. He then enlisted in the army, serving for two years, and was posted on Shemya Island in the Aleutians in Alaska during the cold war. He later attended Oregon State University for a masters degree in counseling.

He met and fell in love with Barbara Barr while living in Bend, Oregon and they married in Bend on June 20th 1965 and moved to Salem where their sons Marc and Jonathan were born and raised. Gary worked as a vocational counselor for the Oregon Employment Division until his retirement.

Gary loved to cook and entertain for friends and family and was always inventive and adventurous in the kitchen. He and Barabara, who works in the travel industry, enjoyed many amazing trips abroad over the years to England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain & Portugal, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and many cruises including the Mediterranean, Panama Canal, Mexico, the Caribbean, and French Polynesia. Gary also loved poetry and the arts; he attended a number of workshops at Sitka Center for the Arts on the coast, a Celtic Spirituality workshop with John O’Donohue in Ireland and he published his own book of poetry, Her Leaf Shall Be Green, and We Are Here.

Gary is survived by his wife of 59 years, Barbara Weber of Salem; his son Marc Weber (Wife Nicole Anderson) of Corvallis, his son Jonathan Weber of Oslo, Norway and three Grandchildren, Elijah, Sylvia and Bodhi Weber.

The family would like to thank Willamette Valley Caregivers for the wonderful care and compassion that was given to Gary during the last year of his life. Also, to Serenity Hospice who helped during the end stages.

A Celebration of Life will be held in early December.

In lieu of flowers, donations to a charity of your choice is welcomed by the family.