Gary A. Rader

Gary Allen Rader, 67, of Prescott, Arizona, died on Monday, December 8, 2008, at his home in Prescott, Arizona. He was born in Pike County, Ohio on January 7, 1941, to the former Jessie Eleanor Beach and Curtis E. Rader, who have both predeceased him. Gary is survived by his wife, Jackie Lynn Barnes, of La Jolla, California. He has also left behind to mourn his death a son, Joseph A. Rader, daughter-in-law Kristy Rader, and grandchildren, Michael and Alisa Rader, all of Anthem, Arizona. Additional survivors are Gary's step-son, Justin Barnes, and Gary's former wife, Barbara (Lemley) Fuentes. Gary, a member of the Chillicothe High School graduating class of 1959, attended Georgia Military Academy as a young man and later joined the Marine Corps on November 10, 1959, where he consistently earned Expert Rifle Marksmanship. He was honorably discharged on November 10, 1963. During this time he served in the Marine Division 2nd Landing Support at Camp Pendleton and then with the Honest John Rocket Battery at 29 Palms, California. Following his service, he pursued an Electronics Technology degree at Ohio College of Applied Science (OCAS) in Cincinnati, Ohio. While attending OCAS, he was recruited by National Cash Register (NCR) during the establishment of its west coast venture into the xerographic copying industry. Following employment with NCR, he worked briefly but proudly as a cross-country driver of 18-wheeled trucks. He then established a lasting career at TRW (now Northrop-Grumman) in Redondo Beach, California, working on several teams to develop and test satellite communication systems for both government and civilian enterprises. He retired in 1996, residing in Utah, Colorado and finally, in Arizona. Gary took pleasure in carpentry and home remodeling and enjoyed studying history, spirituality, world events, and emerging technologies. He was also a lifetime NRA member, buying and selling military and civilian firearms throughout the years. It is the family's wish that those choosing to make a memorial contribution donate to the USO at www.uso.org or to Disabled American Veterans at www.dav.org. Graveside funeral services will be held at 11:00 am Friday, June 26, 2009 in the Bailey's Chapel Cemetery, Pike County with Rev. Gary Pack officiating. There will be a gathering of family and friends immediately following the services.