Gary L. Short, 71, of Kennewick, Washington, passed away unexpectedly and suddenly at his home on August 1, 2026. Gary was born August 30, 1954, in Chillicothe, Ohio and then spent 66 years making the Tri-Cities his home.

Gary was an extremely loving husband, father of three, grandfather of five, and a highly valued friend to many. His family was the center of his life; therefore, he did everything he could for them. He took great pride in all the people he loved. He will be remembered for his smile, his humorous personality, his generous heart, his adventurous soul, his willingness to always help others, and, most importantly, the strong love and devotion he showed his family and friends throughout his life.

Gary’s earlier years were spent working at a couple of different power-generating facilities, one located in Crystal River, Florida (where he graduated high school in 1973), and another in Brunswick County, North Carolina. In 1974, while Gary was working at the facility in North Carolina, he met Linda E. Floyd, whom he instantly fell head over heels in love with. They got married under an old oak tree in Linda’s parents’ front yard on May 17, 1975; sharing 51 wonderful years of marriage together. In June 1975, Gary and Linda traveled back to Kennewick, Washington; where Gary worked at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation as an Electrical Engineer for Fischbach/Lord Electrical at Unit 2. He then went on to work for J.A. Jones Construction Co. at FFTF as a Piping Field Engineer. After that, he finished his Hanford employment with Bechtel Power at Unit 1 and Unit 4 as a QA/QC Inspector.

In the early 1980s, Gary became self-employed at Desert Pines Retirement Community. He put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, as he was a major part of the construction and development of Desert Pines, alongside his father, helping to make it the outstanding community it is today. Desert Pines was one of his greatest sources of pride, knowing he had put countless hours of devotion into something that would serve and benefit others for many years to come.

Gary was enjoying his retirement years, RVing with his beloved wife on the Clearwater River in Orofino, Idaho, when, on June 14, 2020, his life took an unexpected turn. Gary suffered a severe stroke and a major aneurysm rupture in his brain, resulting in a long and difficult 92-day journey through hospitals and rehabilitation facilities before he was finally able to return home. Although the life he had envisioned for his retirement had changed dramatically, Gary remained determined to make the best of those changes by continuing to find joy and happiness in the time he shared with his family.

Gary was an extremely talented and very hardworking man who enjoyed building things with his hands, including woodworking. He loved the outdoors and making memories with his family and close friends. He enjoyed piloting small airplanes, snowmobiling, backpacking, camping, RVing, boating on the Columbia River, traveling the world, and cruising on his several different Harleys over the years. He strongly enjoyed watching his children play sports and the lifelong friendships he made at those events.

He cherished the experience of being able to open his home and heart to foreign exchange students from France, Germany, and Kazakhstan. He embraced the opportunity to share his family, home, and community with them while learning about their cultures and creating friendships and memories that lasted a lifetime.

Gary highly treasured the experiences of witnessing each one of his children get married to the love of their life, along with every time he was able to welcome a new grandchild into his life. Whether he was out enjoying the open road with his wife, spending a day on the river with his family, working on a project in his shop, welcoming an exchange student into his home, or just sitting on the sidelines cheering for his children and grandchildren, Gary found the most joy in spending time with the ones he loved while doing the activities he loved.

Gary leaves behind a lifetime of memories with family and friends who love him very deeply. Though he is gone and will forever be missed, his kindness, his humor, his hard work, his adventurous free spirit, his love for his rescued Staffordshire Terrier, and the deep, unwavering love and devotion he had for his family will forever remain in their hearts. His legacy will continue through future generations. All of the memories, from camping trips, days on the Columbia River, cruises on his Harleys, family adventures, welcoming exchange students from around the world into his home and the countless hours spent cheering on his children and grandchildren, will be deeply treasured forever.

He was preceded in death by his father, Don L. Short, whom Gary was the main caregiver for during his last eight-plus months of life; his mother, Norma M. Short, of Kennewick, WA; his father-in-law, Thomas C. Floyd; his mother-in-law, Geneva C. Floyd; his brother-in-law, William (Billy) L. Floyd, of Southport, NC; as well as Gary’s longtime Desert Pines handyman and friend, Mike McCarty.

Gary is survived by his beloved wife, Linda F. Short; his children, Joshua T. L. Short (wife, Jeri), Jeremy L. T. Short (wife, Desiree), and Jennalyn C. Stemp (husband, Catlin); his grandchildren, Kanon L. T. Short, Kyah P. Short, Karsyn P. Short, Braxton M. Stemp, and Brecken L. Stemp; as well as his brothers, Steven L. Short (Joyce) and Jeffrey L. Short, all of the Tri-Cities, WA, along with numerous nieces and nephews from all around.

A memorial service will be held on August 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Mueller’s Funeral Home, 1401 S. Union St., Kennewick, Washington. A Celebration of Life, with a catered lunch, will follow shortly after at the entrance of Desert Pines, 312 South Columbia Center Boulevard, Kennewick, Washington.