Gayer Dominick
Gayer Gardner Dominick, 69, passed away peacefully on Jan. 27, 2009, surrounded by family in his home in Whitefish, ending his battle with renal cell cancer.
Gayer was born in New York, N.Y., on Independence Day 1939 to Bayard and Elizabeth (Yallalee) Dominick. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, received his bachelor’s from Yale University, a master’s from the University of Hawaii and a juris doctorate from the University of Michigan.
Gayer proposed to Patty on their second date, and they moved to Hawaii shortly after he graduated from Yale, where he taught high school and went to graduate school, and where his first two children, Tracey and Bayard, were born. His intrigue and interest in politics led him to law school in Michigan, where his daughter Wendy was born, before moving to Olympia, Wash.
While he successfully practiced law in Olympia for more than 35 years, Gayer did not measure his success in financial terms. His greatest successes were those that touched people on a personal level — helping a couple to adopt a child, or helping a friend of one of his children get into college.
He was the founder and coach of the Cooper Point Kickers in Olympia. He taught his children to play tennis, fish, hike, ski, sail, dig clams and generally appreciate life.
Gayer’s interests were diverse and seemingly complicated, but the pleasures he took in them simple. He cared about people, especially young people.
He was a mentor and adviser to dozens of kids; a part-time teacher at the local community college; a llama, bison, Hereford, Scottish Highlander, sheep, goat and miniature donkey rancher; and a political activist and philanthropist, serving on many not-for-profit boards and often “giving” more than he could afford.
At the root of his soul, Gayer wanted to help people and did so on any occasion he could. The reward for such a life is that he was loved by many and will be missed by all, especially his family and his two Havanese dogs, Bear and Benny.
He was preceded in death by his parents Bayard and Elizabeth Dominick; and by his father-in-law Bayard Coggeshall.
He is survived by the love of his life, Patricia Dominick; children Tracey Gerber and husband Scott, of Pound Ridge, N.Y., Bayard Dominick and wife Hunter, of Whitefish, and Wendy Wilkinson and husband Chris, of Oakland, Calif.; and seven grandchildren.
No services will be held at this time.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Vital Ground to help protect grizzly bear habitat, online at www.vitalground.org, or the Leiomyosarcoma Foundation, online at www.nlmsf.org.