Gary Packard

Funeral services for Gary Packard, 73-year-old Johnson County resident who passed away Thursday afternoon at the Johnson County Health Care Center, surrounded by his family, will be held Friday, January 24th at 2:00 p.m. at the Harness Funeral Home with Larry Brannian officiating. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Thursday from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Interment will be on the Packard Family Ranch with graveside services to be held on Saturday, January 25th at noon. Donations in Gary’s memory may be made to the Johnson County Fairgrounds Foundation in care of the Harness Funeral Home at 351 N. Adams in Buffalo. Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com

Gary W. Packard was born on October 2, 1946, in Sheridan, Wyoming to Wayne and Murel Packard. At the age of two, he and his family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho where he lived until 1962. His family then moved to Cody, Wyoming where Gary graduated from Cody High School with the class of 1965. After high school, he guided hunters in the Thorofare outside of Cody. He joined the Wyoming National Guard and served from 1965 until 1970. He was married on May 11, 1968, in Cody to Susan Kalian and they made their home on the Packard Family Ranch on Crazy Woman in Arvada, Wyoming. Gary and Sue lived, worked and raised their family on the ranch where he lived until his death.

Gary was heavily involved in 4-H and FFA. In 1963 he traveled to Europe with the Cody FFA. He was also a 4-H leader of the Blue Jeans 4-H Club for over twenty-five years. He dedicated his life to ranching and was nominated for the Outstanding Rancher Award. Gary was proud and actively served on the Range Telephone Board since 1988.

He is survived by his wife Sue of Arvada; two sons, Steve Packard and his wife Amy of Arvada and Scott Packard and his wife Kari of Buffalo; one daughter Stacy Packard of Arvada; ten grandchildren, Mason, Keely and Hannah Rockafellow, Lacey, Ethan, Miles, Kolby and Brenden Packard and David and Chrissy Welty and one great-grandson, Connor Packard. He was preceded in death by his parents one sister Wanda Hape and her husband Chester Hape.