Gary Jay Bullington

The time is always right to do what is right

~ Dr. Martin Luther King

Obituary

Gary Jay Bullington, of Bellevue, Washington, passed away peacefully in his beloved home in the presence of loving family on September 25, 2026, at the age of 84.

Gary lived an early life of adventure and exploration and spent the remainder of his life sharing those experiences as a father, family member, friend, colleague, and mentor. He was generous with his time and insights—born of his lived experiences, endless reading, and thoughtful study of the world around him. Embracing the famous quote "the time is always right to do what is right," Gary built his life on doing the right thing, nurturing lasting relationships, and standing as a steady anchor for everyone around him.
Born on April 7, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan, Gary was the second child and first son of John Robert “JR” Bullington and Rita Jannette (Murray) Bullington, and younger brother to Shirley A. (Bullington) Pruder.

Gary invested in friendships and building community around him from an early age. A product of his time and Midwestern upbringing, he was surrounded by a close-knit group of neighborhood and school friends, several of whom remained lifelong friends. Following his graduation from Denby High School in 1960, he attended the University of Michigan before transferring to Michigan State University, where he joined the Sigma Nu fraternity and graduated with a degree in Business in 1965.
Prompted by a combination of sense of duty, adventure and thirst for life discovery, including global travel, Gary sought and earned a commission as an officer in the United States Navy.

That three-year tour was transformative. The heavy responsibility for the sailors under his supervision, the lifelong bonds forged in the wardroom—particularly aboard the USS Mansfield—and his homeporting in Yokosuka, Japan, broadened his perspective immensely.

Gary was deeply proud of his service and that of his shipmates during an intense period in the Vietnam War, including prominent roles in Operation Sea Dragon in the Gulf of Tonkin, where the USS Mansfield sustained significant damage and loss of life from a North Vietnamese shore battery. Likely born of the extensive combat he and his shipmates experienced on the USS Mansfield, Gary was eager to aggressively live life following his service.

While living on the beach in Long Beach, California, with several fellow bachelor officers during the final months of his Naval service, Gary recognized the exploding opportunities in Silicon Valley. Eager to be part of what would become a halcyon era in 1970s San Francisco, he packed up his Corvette convertible and headed north to embark on his next chapter in the Bay Area.

He launched his career in sales at the Burroughs Corporation, a (perhaps THE) competitor to IBM at the time, where he sold mainframe computing and accounting systems—at the time, given the early days of Moore’s Law—consuming large rooms full of computing equipment.

Burroughs informed his strong intuition on markets, business strategy, organizations and people, which underpinned much of his advisory and mentorship capabilities and pursuits over coming years.

It also led him to a group of colleagues who became, along with some of their extended groups, a life-long foundation of friends that became family.

Most critically in his life, it led to meeting his future wife, life partner and family co-founder. Gary met Margaret (Midge) Anne Iriwn, while back in Detroit for training.

Similarly serendipitous was the fact that Midge was in the process of moving to of all places, San Francisco the following month.

The beginning of their long and thoughtfully planned family arrived in February of 1974 in the form of Bradley Jay. Kelly Anne, Gregory Joseph and Alexandra Stevens arrived over the next several years, forming the foundation of what was Gary’s greatest pride and in his mind, accomplishment.

As the family grew, he migrated from city living in San Francisco, to suburban life in San Jose, followed by a major relocation and trigger for the next phase of life geographically in Bellevue, Washington, and professionally in the commercial real estate industry.

Over a distinguished 40-year career in commercial real estate—an industry he truly loved—Gary became widely respected for his collaborative problem-solving, ethics, and commitment to mentorship. He served in various leadership roles across industry organizations, including the regional board of NAIOP (currently CREDA).

Beyond his formal career, Gary served as a valued sounding board for colleagues, friends, and young professionals. Working alongside a close friend, he helped design a formal mentorship program aimed at guiding young leaders in both career and life goals. A quote from the catalyst of the program captured the essence of Gary’s mentorship, “Gary helped people become the people they were designed to be.”

During the ‘empty nest’ phase of the past 20-plus years, Gary and Midge took their passion for travel, family and investment in their fellow man on the road. They visited their kids during college study abroad programs in Italy and Spain, extending to myriad trips with their then career aged children back to Europe, the Midwest, East Coast and spending significant time back in San Francisco as several of their children had settled there and started families.

During many of these trips, visits, and adventures, Gary could reliably be found engaging with his kids, their friends, in-laws, and business colleagues, often with a glass of wine in hand or cooking utensil associated with a dinner he was helping prepare. All the while, deploying what some described as his ‘Socratic method’ (use of thoughtful questioning) approach to engaging with people and exploring their lives, ambitions, challenges and life plans. So many of these people would comment on how unique, enjoyable, provocative and helpful these conversations, meals and engagements were both in the moment and often in longer-term impact.

In spite of the devastating global impact of COVID-19, for Gary, he was able to experience what he affectionately called the "Dessert Phase" of his life: the return of three of his children and seven grandchildren to Seattle from San Francisco.

Known as "Grandpa" or "Papa," he immersed himself completely in their daily lives, attending countless soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and football games, school performances, and family dinners. He was ever-present as a driver and babysitter, while continuing to serve as a sounding board, steady presence of knowledge and perspective and humor that significantly enhanced the life of his children, grandchildren and friends.

He cherished and fully leaned into this phase of life and shared much of its great joys and sense of gratitude and accomplishment with his beloved wife and family co-founder Midge.

During her final years, she required significant care and Gary was insistent on supporting her wish to maintain her independence and remain at home through her final phase of life. It was his ultimate honoring of the love, respect and commitment he had made to her many years prior.

He will be deeply missed by so many as a function of the massive range of ways that he engaged and supported people in his life.

Gary is survived by his four children: Bradley Bullington (Colleen), Kelly Bullington Hux (Jeremy), Gregory Bullington, and Alexandra Bullington; seven beloved grandchildren: Kieran, Emery, Brooklyn, Parker, Sydney, Whitman, and Barron; his niece Leslie (Pruder) Lazzeri (Joel); his nephew Curtis Pruder (Sina); and a wide circle of extended family and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Margaret "Midge" Bullington; his parents, JR and Rita Bullington; his sister, Shirley (Bullington) Pruder; and his brother-in-law, Gary Pruder.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Seattle to honor Gary’s remarkable legacy as a father, friend, and mentor.

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