Gary Cuff, 70

Gary Ray Cuff left us on Thursday, July 1, 2021. He was at home in Missoula, Mont., when he died at age 70 of natural causes (not COVID-related).

Gary was born Oct. 28, 1950, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He was the second child born to Gale and Irene (Debord) Cuff, joining his older sister, Connie, and later, younger sister Debbie.

Gary attended Hayden Lake Elementary School and Coeur d’Alene High School (Class of 1969). He has lifelong friends from both. He graduated from North Idaho College and earned a bachelor’s degree from Lewis-Clark State College. In high school, he worked as a groundskeeper at Hayden Lake Country Club and told many stories of his shenanigans working the night shift there.

His only child, son Troy Ray Cuff, was born in 1970.

Gary proudly served his country in the U.S. Army from 1972-1975 as a military police officer stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash. He often told the story with a smile that as the Vietnam War was winding down, he just missed deployment overseas and instead was assigned to a recruiting station in his hometown of Coeur d’Alene.

Gary joined the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department on New Year’s Eve 1975. He was handed a gun and the keys to a patrol car and told to go keep as much peace as possible in Kootenai County on New Year’s Eve. Surviving that baptism by fire, Gary spent 32 years on the job, all at Kootenai County, working his way up the ranks from jail deputy to undersheriff. He was particularly proud of successfully serving as undersheriff for 13 years under two different sheriffs, both of whom he greatly respected.

He served as a patrol watch commander, commander of the detective and operations bureaus, and was a member of the narcotics detail, SWAT team and Dive Rescue team.

He was a graduate of the Idaho Peace Officer Training Academy, the FBI Command College, federal Executive Protection training and the 187th session of the FBI National Academy.

Gary and Susan (Wailes) Toft met when Gary was investigating a jewelry theft and Susan was reporting on the case for the Coeur d’Alene Press. They were married Aug. 8, 1987. During their life together, they were pet parents to six dogs and at least 20 cats. Susan was the cat collector and Gary never said “no.” Despite his gruffness, he had a soft heart for all animals.

Gary retired in 2007 and he and Susan moved to her hometown of Missoula, where she works at the University of Montana. Gary maintained their house and acreage and took care of the menagerie. He is acutely missed by the dogs, Keira and Tess. Our cats are jerks; they haven’t noticed he’s gone yet.

Gary enjoyed traveling with Susan, camping, fishing, golfing and, in particular, spending time with close friends.

Gary leaves his wife, Susan, at their home in Missoula; his mother, Irene, in Marysville, Wash.; his son Troy and his wife, Jennifer, in Priest River, Idaho; his sister, Connie, in Marysville; granddaughters Elizabeth Cuff and Aubrey Allen, both of Coeur d’Alene; great-granddaughter Anastasia Allen; and many more loving family members.

Gary is now reunited with his father, Gale, and his sister Debbie.

If you’d like to make a memorial donation in Gary’s name, please consider: AniMeals, 1700 Rankin St., Missoula, MT, 59808; or the John Wailes Scholarship Fund, c/o UM Foundation, PO Box 7159, Missoula, MT 59807.

A gathering of friends, family, colleagues and all who knew Gary will be at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, at Templin’s hotel in Post Falls, Idaho. “Story Time For Gary” will include a no-host bar, hors d’oeuvres and lots of stories about Gary.

The event space will allow for social distancing and masks are encouraged. If you haven’t yet been vaccinated, there’s still time to do so before Aug. 12.