Gary Rex Coffin

Gary Rex Coffin, a long-time resident of Idaho Falls, passed away peacefully on October 31, 2023, at his daughter’s home in Sandy, Utah. He bravely fought Alzheimer’s Disease for the previous decade.

Gary was born January 25, 1938, in Downey, Idaho, the oldest child of Rex Thompson Coffin and Karma “Kay” Kathleen Nelson. Life in rural Idaho between the Depression and WWII had to be a difficult time, but to hear Gary and his sisters, Carole, Shana, and Vicki, share stories about their childhood in Arimo, it was full of love and adventure, an idyllic childhood. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family, and in 1953, Karma died of injuries related to a car accident. Rex married Doris Hanks and younger siblings, Drex, Shane, Cynthia, and Layne, were born into the family.

Gary graduated from Pocatello High School in 1956. He attended Brigham Young University where he received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and became a life-long BYU Cougar fan.

At BYU, he met and married his sweetheart of 61 years, Marilyn Kay Baldwin, on September 7, 1962, in the Manti, Utah Temple. After graduating from BYU, the young family moved to Southern California, where children, Gary Todd, Kristin Kay, Rene Corine, and Susan Eileen, joined the family. The family then relocated to Idaho Falls, Idaho, in 1975 where Gary, a brilliant engineer,  subsequently founded his own firm, Idaho Laboratories Inc, manufacturing thermal instrumentation, some of which were used by astronauts in NASA.

Gary loved making beautiful turns on his snow skis and aggressive cuts on the water ski, especially during family reunions at Bear Lake. He loved horses and farmed as a hobby. One crowning moment occurred when his horse, Mantic, won the Idaho Centennial Derby in 1990. More than anything, Gary loved his family. Each of his 13 grandchildren, Corbyn, Braydon, and Kaylee Coffin; Tevin, Trent, and Courtney Dickerson; Nathan, Sarah, and Grace Hunter; Braxson, Ethan, Logan, and Allison Archibald, have fond memories of Grandpa’s jokes (often the same ones over and over), riding on his shoulders, riding on the wave runner with him, and feeding the cats at the barn.

Gary always saw the good in people and gave lots of individuals a second chance in life through his work. Gary and Marilyn especially loved their service as Addiction Recovery Missionaries. He taught his children the value of hard work. Gary never met a stranger. He would make conversation with anyone and everyone around him! He loved traveling, with lots of trips with Marilyn to Kauai, Hawaii.

An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his entire life, Gary looked forward to a wonderful reunion in heaven with his Savior, his loving parents, and many others.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at Wood Funeral Home East Side, 963 South Ammon Rd, Ammon, Idaho 83406. Family will greet visitors from 10:00-10:45 a.m. prior to the services. Burial will be in Ammon Cemetery.