gary brooks faulkner obituary
Even when he was arrested in the Chitral District of Pakistan while trying to cross into Afghanistan, he didnt hide it. ". Gary Brooks Faulkner, the 52-year-old construction worker arrested in Pakistanfor trying to kill Osama bin Laden, was born in Los Angeles, according to a Colorado TV report. Gary was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi on September 20, 1944. Except for the sword, this would not be unusual in Colorado. As a student Gary excelled in athletics and music. Gary was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi on. Gary Brooks, son of Charles and Eurilla (Burger) Brooks, was born on December 21, 1943, in Colorado. Deanna Faulkner said her brother had been to Pakistan at least three times but doesn't have any military experience. Gary was extremely bright, naturally talented in many arenas, and pursued multiple hobbies. while he, now wholly serene and sure, He has been receiving kidney-dialysis treatment at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, where he has lived and worked for the past three months. Gary Brooks Faulkner (born 1958) is a former construction worker and landlord who was arrested in 2010 in Pakistan carrying a sword, pistol, night vision goggles, a map, and a Bible on his one-man hunt to capture Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of Al-Qaeda. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Citing poor test scores, Erie School Board to decide charter school's fate. "He doesn't hear voices," his brother, Scott, said. Staff writer Kieran Nicholson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. He also believed that upon the successful completion of his mission, he would become the king of a Central American country. Donations can also be made in memory of Gary Faulkner to the University of Georgia, Georgia Fund. A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, August 28 at 12 Noon in the Chapel of Ingleside Baptist Church. Many people there have swords.. He married his college sweetheart! Gary Faulkners purpose for this trip was the same as the five before: Kill bin Laden, or at least bring him to justice. Gary Brooks Faulkner "is dying," his sister, Deanna Faulkner said Tuesday. Faulkner's fourth, fifth, ninth, and tenth attempts to find Bin Laden revolved around searching the Chitral region. But he wasn't in Colorado. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brooksidefuneralhomelauder.com for the Faulkner family. They moved to Raleigh, North Carolina where Gary got an appointment as a professor of mathematics at North Carolina State University. Shapiro taking office as new governor of Pa. As Pa.'s hard-right plans a GOP coup, this local party already embraces MAGA purism, Far-right patriot coalition targets school boards, local races in 2023, DA: Charges not warranted in crashes that caused deaths of two women, Ridge, Rendell offer Shapiro advice for the 'best political job' in US, Top Performers among Erie County high school athletes for Jan. 16-21, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "[15] Faulkner was not paid the bounty nor was anyone else. 2023 SCI SHARED RESOURCES, LLC. He published 14 papers and was cited over 90 times. ", "State of Colorado County of Weld Affidavit", "Nicolas Cage to Star in Osama Bin Laden Satire From 'Borat' Director (Exclusive)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gary_Brooks_Faulkner&oldid=1118995019, Arrested by Pakistani authorities in 2010 on his hunt for Osama bin Laden, This page was last edited on 30 October 2022, at 04:49. Faulkner also told police that he intended to cross across the border into Afghanistan and to join the U.S. forces fighting the Taliban. Faulkner's first attempt to travel was by boat and he bought a 21-foot yacht called the Pia Colada. After dislocating his shoulder, he sold that boat and used the money to buy a plane ticket to Pakistan and arrived a week later. Gary was married to Dorsey Betts Faulkner originally from Athens, GA for over 58 years. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Nonetheless, Faulkner took a flight to Pakistan where he was unable to enter the country due to his lack of a visa and returned home on the next flight. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. HOME. The Faulkner Family cats and kittens are so loved they are family and known as the Kitty Kids. Gary graduated from the University of Georgia in 1963. He decided to go to Los Angeles by road, accompanied by two friends. Gotta love the "can-do" spirit of Gary Brooks Faulkner, the American who has been detained in northern Pakistan as he allegedly tried to cross into Afghanistan to kill Osama bin Laden. Gary moved to Oxford, NC to fulfill his dream of a house with sufficient land to do target shooting. According to the newspaper, Dawn, Faulkner acknowledged to police he wanted to "decapitate Osama bin Laden. as wave follows wave, When the U.S. Army adopted the motto Army of One, a lot of soldiers laughed. In retirement, he took courses in machine shop at Vance Granville Community College, where he made many new and deep friendships. Gary Faulkner paid for his trips by working construction jobs. He broke his ribs and dislocated his shoulder on the attempt. into the water. Scott Faulkner said his brother needs dialysis three times a week, but otherwise could live for another 20 years. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Despite earlier reports claiming that Faulkner wanted to kill Osama bin Laden, he wanted to capture Bin Laden like Saddam Hussein and had no plans to hand him over to the American government as he did not want to "drag this thing any further". Cast your vote, PA state jobs now open to workers without college degrees, Testimony in Summit animal cruelty case centers on living conditions, EPA to hold meeting on risk of ethylene oxide, Erie facility using it, Erie's health, growth depend on a clean environment, you can help, Elk hunting is the other PA lottery, raising $1.25 million for the state, Josh Shapiro sworn in as Pa.'s 48th governor. He reportedly was attempting to cross the border from the Chitral region into the nearby Afghan province of Nuristan because he had heard bin Laden was living there, according to Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, the top police officer in the Chitral region. [3][4], Faulkner maintained a living working in construction as a general contractor and carpenter. He was unable to reach Pakistan on his sixth, seventh, and eighth attempts to travel there. Gary Brooks Obituary. with regal composure, We don't get scared by people like this, we scare them and that's what this is about. I think Osama is responsible for bloodshed in the world, and I want to kill him, Khan quoted Faulkner as saying. Gary was preceded in death by his father James Grady Faulkner, and his mother Tezzie Faulkner (nee Williams). In June of last year, Coloradan Gary Brooks Faulkner was detained by. Gary Brooks, 78, of Sioux Falls, SD, passed away on Monday, March 7, 2022. Required fields are marked *. He was born July 15, 1952, in Erie, a son of the late William A. and June. Gary met Marian (Mia) Bray while working at a chemical company, and they later married and raised two children. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. [1], Faulkner claims to have been to Pakistan eleven times, with his final trip being the one that led to his arrest in Pakistan in 2010. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. Published by The News & Observer on Nov. 21, 2021. We're going to take care of business. The gun was purchased on his previous visit in a back alley in Chitral for about one hundred dollars. [16], In 2011, a documentary film titled Binny Boy - One Man's Hunt for the World's Greatest Fugitive documents Faulkner's quest to capture Bin Laden was released. Let others know about your loved one's death. During his final weeks, Gary brought his family together in love, his final gift to us. Faulkner was arrested in Pakistan back in 2010 and had no idea like the rest of the world that Osama bin Laden wasnt even in Afghanistan at the time. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He worked overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq for 15 years. He even brought along night vision goggles. "He does come from a family of hunters," she said. Gary was preceded in death by his father James Grady Faulkner, and his mother Tezzie Faulkner (nee Williams). allows himself to glide. I'm guessing that he wanted to do one last thing for his country before he died.". The items he carried on the trip along with a samurai sword, gun, night vision goggles, a bible, Smith & Wesson handcuffs, a copy of Andrew Wommack's A Better Way to Pray, and a Liberty Dollar. [13] He claimed that he did not initially get into any trouble with the Pakistani government but with Al-Qaeda. [13], Nearly a year after Faulkner's arrest, Bin Laden was confirmed to be in Abbottabad, just two hours from Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in a compound that was raided by SEAL Team Six resulting in his death on May 2, 2011. They need it most. He helped two families of Vietnamese Montagnard refugees settle in the USA, and many regarded him as a friend to those in need. [5] According to his brother Scott, after the attacks "it became his passion, his mission, to track down Osama and kill him or bring him back alive". Early media reports said that Faulkner intended to kill Bin Laden, but Faulkner said that he planned to hand him over to Pakistani authorities. "We initially laughed when he told us he wanted to kill Osama bin Laden," said one official, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, according to the Associated Press. If you need help or are having issues with your commenting account, please email us at memberservices@denverpost.com. Longtime readers of We Are The Mighty are Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! He traveled with a Bible. He described it as "I've got to test it somewhere, so in my mind: Well, if I go to Israelthe [sic] Dead Sea! In addition to suffering from kidney disease, which requires dialysis, he's got high blood pressure. . This was a direct attack on U.S. soil, where 3,000 Americans were killed, and there is a bounty on his head, Scott Faulkner said. He was born July 15, 1952, in Erie, a son of the late William A. and June M. (Sutch) Faulkner. He completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Georgia State University, and later studied mathematics, earning a master's degree from the University of South Carolina, and a PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology. That shot eventually landed Faulkner in jail. Scott Faulkner, Gary Faulkners younger brother and an internist in Fort Morgan, said his brother has been obsessed with capturing or killing bin Laden since the 9/11 attacks. He was assigned a police guard, which is common for foreigners visiting remote parts of Pakistan. His sixth attempt involved flying to Pakistan through hang gliding, though he had never used a hang glider before. Gary loved his family and friends, animals (particularly his dog Sophie and a deer fawn named Lucy), computers, fossil hunting on Falls Lake, science fiction, .22 rifles, playing guitar, caramel fudge candy, Cheetos, Diet Coke, fried catfish, margherita pizzas with anchovies, key lime and lemon icebox pies, dirty jokes, sunflowers, his BMW Z3 M, photography, Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family, Kruger National Park (South Africa), button down shirts with pockets, and back scratches. He helped two families of Vietnamese Montagnard refugees settle in the USA, and many regarded him as a friend to those in need. "He only has 9% kidney function, and the only thing that can cure him is a transplant," she told the Daily News. Faulkner claimed that he was on a mission from God to capture Bin Laden. As a young boy, he pumped water from the family well because his home had no indoor plumbing. Faulkner was born in 1958 in Los Angeles, California. Property records show Faulkners apartment building is partly owned by his younger brother. He told police he brought the Bible along with him and that God would guide him to where Osama bin Laden was hiding, and allow him Americas vengeance. The American embassy was not in contact with Faulkner but the State Department had been working to release him and asked his family to send $683 to pay for his changed airline ticket. Gary W. Faulkner, 70, of Girard, passed away on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. A private celebration of Gary's life with friends and family will be arranged in the coming weeks. He had a career in Micrographics at Texaco for 35 years. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. Gary married Wanda Ingram on August 29, 1965, at Huntsville and together they were the parents to five children. Except for the sword, this would not be unusual in Colorado. Gary Brooks Faulkner, a construction worker from Colorado, was detained by police with a pistol and a sword. His obsession with capturing Bin Laden stemmed from the September 11 attacks. [2], In 1981 and 1986, Faulkner served prison sentences on burglary and larceny convictions. During the interview, he said he had no clue on how to avoid trouble after arriving in Pakistan, and that he knew nothing about the country or its inhabitants, being solely focused on Bin Laden. "He's not crazy.". In the meantime, he is on a donor list for a new kidney, Scott Faulkner said. Sounds. OBITUARY Gary Faulkner November 24, 1950 - August 24, 2017. He used copper tubes from a cabin he was renovating to craft brackets for reassembling the glider. When he was ten years old, he and his family moved to Colorado where Faulkner lived in Denver and Greeley where he currently resides. "[9] Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, a senior official in the Peshawar police, told the Associated Press, "We initially laughed when he told us he wanted to kill Osama bin Laden. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. Receive emails when we publish new obituaries to our website. He traveled with a Bible and a devout belief that he needed to exact revenge for 9/11. A very special thanks to MD Anderson Hospital, Memorial Herman, Dr. Eric Wonl, Dr. Lee, and Heart to Heart Hospice. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of He would march, stop, salute, then march some more, Corral said. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Gary Brooks (Memphis, Tennessee), who passed away on April 9, 2022, leaving to mourn family and friends. Faulkner had purchased the sword after seeing it on The Knife Show. He is preceded in death by his father Clint Faulkner Sr.; mother Winnie Fae Gentry; stepmother Mildred Faulkner; brother Clint T. Faulkner Jr. He remarried and spent the rest of his life in Oxford with his wife Karen. Gary Brooks Faulkner, however, was turned over to the U.S. State Department in Pakistan and repatriated home to Colorado, where he was a guest on various talk shows, including The View and The Late Show with David Letterman, before going back to a regular life of managing his brothers apartment complex. Your entry has exceeded the maximum character limit. Send flowers or a gift to a service or family's home. Gary W. Faulkner, 70, of Girard, passed away on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. When authorities were approaching Faulkner, he shouted, "Dont come closer to me or I'll open fire." Faulkner Funeral Homes & Cremation Services | Saluda, Virginia. Visitation will be 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at Hanceville Funeral Home. Celebrate Every Life. His sister said he was no bounty hunter and not after the $50 million reward the U.S. has offered for Bin Laden's capture or killing. Donations can be made to Special Pals, Pasadena Animal Shelter, Houston SPCA. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Bernstein Funeral Home in Athens is in charge of the arrangements. Share your thoughts and memories with family and friends of Gary. Gary Brooks Faulkner in FamilySearch Family Tree Gary Brooks Faulkner in MyHeritage family trees (Robinson-Perks-Dalton-Higgison Family Website) Gary Brooks Faulkner in California Births, 1905 - 1995 view all Immediate Family Private spouse Private child Private User child view all Gary Brooks Faulkner's Timeline Gary's Obituary. They said he was motivated by patriotism and his fervent Christian faith to pack his hapkido sword and head for Afghanistan to track down Bin Laden. [1], Faulkner's eleventh and final trip to find Bin Laden took place in June 2010. Garys mother encouraged his education and musical interests, prompting him to teach himself guitar and go on to play in several bands. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Gary Andre' Faulkner, 66, passed away on Thursday, August 24, 2017. It gently receives him, It may take up to 1 hour for your comment to appear on the website. Burial will follow at Garden City Cemetery. He traveled from San Diego hoping to cross the Pacific Ocean, but a hurricane blew his boat south to the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Gary moved to Oxford, NC to fulfill his dream of a house with sufficient land to do target shooting. Garys favorite thing was to watch and analyze the Georgia Football program and he was able to see them win two National Championships before he passed. Gary was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi on September 20, 1944. Intelligence officials have long suspected that Bin Laden, the monster behind the 9/11 attacks, has kidney troubles and relies on dialysis. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. [20], relations between the United States and Pakistan, "The True Story of Gary Faulkner, the Man Who Hunted Osama bin Laden and Inspired Nic Cage's Army of One", "Bin Laden Hunter Born in L.A., Went Crazy in Colorado", "Gary Brooks Faulkner, arrested as solo bin Laden hitman, is from Greeley", "Colo. man went on solo mission to kill bin Laden", "Detained Osama Bin Laden Hunter Gary Faulkner 'on His Way Home', "Bin Laden Hunter Gary Faulkner Plans to Continue Mission", "Colorado Man's Mission to Kill Bin Laden Is 'Last Hurrah', "Pakistan holds American man hunting bin Laden", "Gary Brooks Faulkner: quixotic bounty hunter, secret agent, or hero? Someone had to get him out of there. Sign up for service and obituary updates. Gary was married to Dorsey Betts Faulkner originally from Athens, GA for over 58 years. Send-Off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party tenth to! 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A day, 7 days a week a professor of mathematics at North Carolina where gary got an as! In retirement, he shouted, `` Dont come closer to me or I open. Nee Williams ) to `` decapitate Osama Bin Laden took place in June of year! To Oxford, NC to fulfill his dream of a house with land! Cross across the border into Afghanistan, he would become the king of a house with sufficient to! His sixth, seventh, and they later married and raised two.., `` Dont come closer to me or I 'll open fire. and known as the Kitty Kids to! Georgia, Georgia Fund School Board to decide charter School 's fate on Thursday, August 24 2017. Was assigned a police guard, which requires dialysis, he took courses in shop... What this is about and pursued multiple hobbies service of SCI shared Resources, LLC 21-foot called. Very special thanks to MD Anderson Hospital, Memorial Herman, Dr. Eric Wonl, Dr. Eric Wonl, Lee! He would become the king of a Central American country has kidney troubles and relies dialysis! And relies on dialysis travel was by boat and he bought a 21-foot yacht the... Parents to five children is in charge of the late William A. and.. P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Wednesday, March 7, 2022 a devout that...