Gerhardt `Gary' Graep, 77, Former Redmond Mayor And Civic Leader

Putrid cesspool odors wafting through town first prompted Gerhardt (Gary) C. Graep to get involved in Redmond politics. Two decades later, the former ice-cream manufacturer had not only brought sewers to Redmond, he'd presided over a growth boom that transformed the sleepy Eastside town into a suburban mecca.

Mr. Graep, 77, died Saturday (Feb. 29) at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue after a long battle with emphysema.

He served three influential terms as Redmond's mayor between 1955 and 1967, said his daughter, Bobbie Rettig.

An opinionated and outgoing leader, Mr. Graep devoted himself to shaping the city's growth from a tiny town of 500, nestled among truck farms, to a city of thousands.

The city's area expanded from 525 acres to 6,440 acres during the years he was mayor, said Nancy Way, a Redmond writer who published a history of the city, "Our town Redmond."

One of the 40 annexations approved during his tenure involved the property now occupied by Microsoft, an industry that generates thousands of dollars in taxes for the city, said his son-in-law, Roger Rettig.

"He could see its potential for Redmond," said Roger Rettig, also a past Redmond city clerk.

Another annexation attempt during Mr. Graep's term in office was the occasion of the city's most famous practical joke, said Way.

In the late 1950s, the Redmond City Council received some annexation requests from neighbors of the Bellevue Municipal Golf

Course. Mr. Graep displayed his well-known humor - he added the golf course to the properties included in the proposed annexation.

A furious Bellevue city manager appeared before the Redmond City Council, begging them not to snatch the golf course. The Redmond council prolonged his pain as long as possible, said Way - they voted 3-3 to annex the golf course, allowing Mr. Graep to cast the tiebreaking vote in favor.

Only after the Bellevue official had collapsed in his chair in despair did he learn that the whole thing was a setup - engineered by Mr. Graep, Way said.

"He (Mr. Graep) was a warm, outgoing person, delightful to visit, he told wonderful stories," said Doreen Marchione, recent mayor of Redmond.

"He gave the better part of his life to the city of Redmond," said Roger Rettig. "Politics was his biggest hobby."

Besides serving as mayor, Mr. Graep served two years on the City Council, chaired the Suburban Mayors' Association, and served one term as president of the Association of Washington Cities.

Born in 1914 in Everson, Whatcom County, Mr. Graep was an active member of the Overlake Hospital Board of Directors, the Kirkland Grand Masonic Lodge No. 150, the Redmond Lions' Club, the Nile Temple and the Scottish Rite. He was also a member of Acacia Fraternity at Washington State University, where he received a degree in dairy sciences, and he served three years on the home front with the U.S. Army during World War II.

A part-owner of the now-defunct Happy Valley Ice Cream Co., which once occupied the site of the Bear Creek shopping center, Mr. Graep also worked in real estate.

A service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, at Green Funeral Home, 16551 N.E. 79th St., Redmond.

Mr. Graep is survived by his wife, Alys Graep. His first wife, Florence Graep, preceded him in death. Besides his daughter, Bobbie Rettig of Woodinville, he is survived by a daughter, Louise Ostendorf of Redmond; a sister, Gertrude Fenstermacher of Auburn, and a brother, Otto Graep of Bellingham.