GARY M. HASTY – July 4, 1942 – Jan. 13, 2023

Gary Martell Hasty, Los Alamos High School Class of 1961, died of cancer January 13, 2023, in the San Luis Valley of Colorado.

He worked for the National Park Service for over 30 years. He began his career as a fire control aid at Bandelier National Monument, then worked as a ranger at Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, Rocky Mountain National Park, Arches National Park, Glacier Bay National Park, Shenandoah National Park, and Canyon de Chelly National Park. He became superintendent of Natural Bridges National Monument and then Pipe Spring National Monument, and ended his career at the Rocky Mountain Regional Office in Denver.

He was a talented silversmith, pen and ink artist and photographer. He enjoyed hiking, backpacking, fly fishing and tying flies.

Gary married Carol Hammel in 1965, and besides working in national monuments and parks, they traveled and visited friends all over the country. In 1978, they went on a month-long trip to Nepal and trekked to Everest Base Camp. It was “a different time” there then than it is now. The trek was the old-fashioned “long way”, starting just outside Kathmandu. At that time, few foreigners had visited Nepal; and their group of 10, plus Sherpas and porters were the only ones on the trail and at Everest Base Camp.

Gary and Carol had the fortunate opportunity to see Tenzing Norgay, who summited Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953. They also visited Chitwan National Park, Nepal’s first national park. It was set aside to protect single-horned Asiatic rhinos and Bengal tigers, both of which they were able to see up close. Gary and Carol later divorced. Gary moved to a small ranch that he loved in the San Luis Valley, where he served on the Board of Directors of the San Luis Valley Museum.