Gary Coy is the son of Walt Coy who owned and operated Coy's White Center Theatre.

First located on 16th Avenue Southwest next door to Olberg's Thrifty Drug and later on Roxbury Street across from Gould and Ackley, attorneys.

Walt also opened Coy's Hiline Theatre on First Avenue South in a Quonset hut that once served as housing for American troops.

Gary grew up helping his Dad in the show house as usher, janitor, ticket taker and monitoring exit doors to chase would-be teeners sneaking in.

He now owns huge chunks of Tacoma waterfront where he leases to ship owners (some larger than 1,000 feet) for moorage and loading.

His Dad once owned a 42-foot cruiser so Gary spent a lot of his youth aboard the Dorothy.

One dark night they smashed into an unlit sawdust barge and started sinking. Walt pulled off a miracle and threw an anchor up on to the deck of the barge and it stuck. Though the Dorothy was sinking, the whole family of five was able to scramble into the 12-foot dinghy they had on board and hang on while the Coast Guard brought the tug and barge to a halt.

His Dad sued the barge owner and won and he had the diesel cruiser rebuilt.

Gary lives in Seahurst and serves as a commissioner for water districts 20 and 49.

He went to Sunnydale Elementary, Sylvester Junior High and Highline High.