1942-2025
Gareth “Gary” P. Fishbaugh, 83, of Waneta Lake in the Finger Lakes of New York, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2025.
Born in Rochester, NY, on February 16, 1942, to Willard and Helen Fishbaugh, Gary lived a life rich in creativity, music, curiosity, and love.
Gary’s artistic spirit carried him across the country to Los Angeles, where he spent his career with the Walt Disney Company as a digitizing camera operator. His work helped bring beloved animated stories to life, and his pride in that chapter of his life was matched only by the joy he felt sharing Disney magic with others. After retiring, he took his best friend—his brother Richard—and Richard’s family on a cherished trip to Disneyland, a memory held close by all who were there.
He was predeceased by the love of his life, Melissa Shrek Fishbaugh, with whom he shared a deep and enduring bond.
Gary is survived by his three daughters, Thaya Brook Knight (Brian), Samantha Harlowe (Erik), and Valentina Campos (Andrew), who each carry forward his love of learning, humor, and music. He was also the proud grandfather of three grandsons. He is survived by his brother and lifelong best friend, Richard Fishbaugh, and by Richard’s wife, Angela, whom Gary affectionately and consistently called his “favorite sister-in-law.”
His nieces and nephew held a special place in his heart: Adele Fishbaugh, his Disney movie partner with whom he saw every new release after retiring; Holly Fishbaugh, who visited him often in the nursing home and brought cheer not only to him but to other residents as well; and Matthew Tarlach, whom Gary taught to lay down music tracks in his home studio. His family was his greatest joy, and he poured his time, talents, and curiosity into each of them.
Music was woven through every chapter of Gary’s life. His first lead role—Billy Bigelow in Carousel—came during his high school years and sparked a lifelong passion for performing. After graduating, Gary served in the U.S. Army with the 7th Army Chorus from 1966–1968. Following his service, he joined the internationally renowned New Christy Minstrels, touring the world, including performances for troops in Vietnam during the war. His musical journey continued with the trio FF&Z (Fishbaugh, Fishbaugh & Zorn), which signed with CBS Records in the UK from 1972–1974 and opened for the legendary band The Kinks.
At family gatherings, Gary would recite a Jewish prayer he memorized while working at a Jewish camp in the Adirondacks during his high school summers. After the prayer, he would sing the doxology—his voice warm, rich, and unmistakably his. His music was a gift he shared generously, whether performing solos as a tenor with the Penn Yan Community Chorus or singing “The Wedding Song” at his brother Richard’s wedding and again at Richard and Angela’s son’s wedding.
Gary was endlessly curious, delightfully witty, and famously knowledgeable. Before the internet—and even after—family and friends would say, “Call Gary, he’ll know.” Whether the question was about history, astronomy, politics, movies, science, or some obscure fact no one else could recall, Gary almost always had the answer. And on the rare occasion he didn’t, he would find it and call back—because the conversation mattered as much as the information.
He loved bad puns, good stories, and making himself laugh with his signature booming “HA!” He was a gifted storyteller, a lover of sports, a student of new technology, and a man who found fascination in nearly everything. When Gary talked, people listened—not just because he was interesting, but because he was interested.
Above all, Gary was entertainment. He was warmth, humor, music, and memory. He was the keeper of stories, the finder of facts, the singer of songs, and the heart of every gathering.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 2nd at 2:00 p.m. at his family’s home, 5785 Pre-Emption Road, where loved ones will gather to honor his extraordinary life, share stories, and remember the joy he brought into the world.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gary’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation at https://www.parkinson.org, in support of research, care, and hope for those living with Parkinson’s disease.
