Gary Thomas McGowan was born at Enloe Hospital Jan. 6, 1951, and passed away in Chico, California, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, after a long and arduous, yet spirited battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Gary was the son of Robert (Bob) McGowan, Sr., and Helen Caffaratti McGowan. As a beloved family member and friend, Gary (Buck) was a true gift to all who were blessed to have known him. He was one of the few men who could genuinely be described as “larger than life.” Gary was always the author of his destiny, and the countless grand adventures that he embarked upon will be remembered by all who knew him. He has left an indelible mark on every soul he touched throughout his life.
From a young age, Gary enjoyed anything that would get him outdoors. He played on an Eastside Little League baseball team, swam with the Chico AquaJets, hunted, fished and had a mind for sports statistics much like a steel trap. Gary attended Notre Dame Catholic School and then transferred to Bellarmine College Preparatory, a Jesuit boarding high school in San Jose. After graduating in 1969, Gary went on to study at Southern Oregon College in Ashland, Oregon, and then to Santa Clara University, where he graduated from law school in 1977.
Gary practiced law alongside some local attorneys and then partnered with Bill Hubbard, establishing the Hubbard & McGowan law firm from 1978 to 1982. They opened an office in Quincy for two years, but it was only open on Friday afternoons. The person who went to Quincy that week staffed the office. Bill said, “They didn’t do much business. I wonder why?” It is suspected that the office in Quincy was an excuse to get Gary closer to the mountains, where he could enjoy his hobbies of hunting, fishing and enjoying the wilderness. While working in the Chico office, Gary came home for lunch almost every day and watched “Leave it to Beaver” on his lunch break with Mary, his sister, who often made him lunch.
In the late 1980s, Gary moved to Chicago, where he worked at the Chicago Board of Trade alongside his brother, Denny. They lived on Crilly Court next to Second City Comedy House, which they frequently visited. Every year on April 1, they went outside in their bathing suits to barbecue, knowing that in California the weather would be nice while in Chicago it was usually snowing. It was during this time that he became a loyal “Cubbies” fan.
In the summer of 1992, Gary took one of his most daring adventures yet. It was a cross-country trip on his trusted steed, a loaded-down bicycle. The trip was a grueling 4,500 miles, which began in Yorktown, Virginia, and ended in Chico, where a congregation of loved ones and supporters met him. When asked about the momentous homecoming, Gary was quoted as saying, “I thought there was a wreck or something. It was quite a surprise.” The inspirational journey he had completed was, to him, just a long bike ride, but to the rest of the world, Gary’s seemingly remarkable accomplishment was something to be celebrated. Such was his character, humble and caring. Throughout Gary’s life, he set a wonderful example of how amazing life can be if one has enough courage and fortitude to see their dreams through.
Gary’s professional life was as impressive as his personal life. He tried his hand at several ventures, but he settled for fighting the good fight as an accomplished and revered assistant district attorney in Quincy. Gary served with distinction as a Plumas County deputy district attorney from 1994 to 2016. He was a tireless, consistent and honorable prosecutor, serving the residents of Plumas County for over two decades. At the onset of Gary’s illness, a time when the district attorney’s office was shorthanded, Gary came in every day. He worked diligently and effectively without uttering a word of complaint or excuse. Gary set an outstanding example for those in law enforcement and was the consummate teammate within the district attorney’s office. He was also a steady mentor to young attorneys and a trusted confidante to the district attorney. While Gary’s accomplishments in court spoke volumes about his work ethic, what exemplified Gary’s quality of character were the little, kind things he would do: bringing a cookstove to a meeting to make quesadillas for the office; proudly posting crayon drawings from an officemate’s child. Gary’s efforts remain greatly appreciated, and the district attorney’s office in Plumas County is thankful for the opportunity to have known and worked with him.
Gary was heavily invested in his community. He volunteered to pack trout to the lakes in the Trinity Wilderness. He supported local 4-H clubs in Quincy, as well as local county sports programs, including Feather River College baseball and the Quincy Rodeo. He was a devout Catholic, attending St. John’s Catholic Church in Quincy. Additionally, Gary was a member of the Quincy Bar Association. He was a long-time Rotarian and served as president of the Quincy chapter. He loved his horses and mules and enjoyed packing through the Trinity Alps and Sierra Nevada ranges. He enjoyed his olive-green VW van, which featured custom curtains made by his sister, Gail. The van was known lovingly as the “Rolls Canhardly” because it rolls down one hill but can hardly make it up the next! After graduating from Santa Clara University, passing the bar, and becoming an attorney, he upgraded his car to a 1965 white-on-white Mustang convertible.
Gary is preceded in death by his parents, Robert (Bob) McGowan Sr. and Helen Caffarrati McGowan. He is survived by his siblings: Bob Jr. (Deb), Michael “Denny”, Gail, Bruce (Cindy), Mary (Wes) Anderson, and Tim McGowan (Holly). He is also survived by his stepchildren, Mary Helen Smith and James Q. Smith, and their mother, Sally Templeton McGowan. Finally, he leaves behind a plethora of family members, including cousins, nephews, nieces, extended family, and treasured friends. We will all remember his kindness, wit, generosity, honesty and ineffaceable character.
A rosary service will be held Thursday, July 10 at 6 p.m., at Brusie Funeral Home in Chico. Funeral service and mass will be held at Chico’s Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church Friday, July 11 at 10 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Notre Dame School in Chico or to the charity of your choice. To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
