Garry Wayne Walden

Garry Wayne Walden passed away peacefully surrounded by close family on Sunday, September 5, 2021. For the majority of his life, Garry managed government programs that helped underprivileged and disadvantaged groups, in both New York City and in the greater Los Angeles area. In the early 2000s, he was recognized for his innovative work by the Honorable Mayor Michael Bloomberg and subsequently featured on a local CBS news story. Midway through his career, he developed assistive technology programs and services for people with sight, memory and other cognitive impairments. Recently, his passion was in helping people with autism and other disabilities improve their overall quality  of life. A trained athlete, Garry played football for the California State University, Fresno Bulldogs in the 1980s, and spent the rest of his post-football athletic life riding his bike along a stretch of the Los Angeles riverbed, an area he grew to love as a child. Garry was a self-taught musician, artist and sculptor. He was also a visionary and writer with a keen sense of social justice, humor, and irony. His greatest achievement however, he would say, was raising a good son.  Garry will be missed immensely.

He is survived by his wife Bess, and son, Willem; his parents, Ronny and Pamela Walden; brothers Ron Walden and Robert Walden and families; and a large extended family, and friends.

Funeral services will take place at 11:00AM, on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at Cathedral Memorial Gardens in Garden Grove.  In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting donations toward the Garry Walden Memorial Scholarship Fund for student-athletes, through the Coast Community College District.

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