We are sorry to announce that Gary Dunlap, a prominent Santa Barbara County attorney for many years, passed away at his home in Henderson, Nevada, on Oct. 27, 2024.

His wife Lynn, daughter Deby, and grandson Anthony were with him when he passed peacefully early that morning.

Gary James Dunlap was born on Aug. 27, 1941 to Floyd and Dorothea Dunlap. He was the second of three sons born into the Dunlap family.

His father, born a farmer in southeast Kansas, later became a prison guard at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.

Growing up alongside his older brother David and a younger brother Douglas, Gary spent his primary years in Leavenworth. He attended North Broadway Elementary School, Leavenworth Junior High and graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1959.

While in high school, he was a standout lineman for the football team, was a member of the Kansas Academic Honor Society, and was active in a number of school clubs and organizations.

He attended St. Joseph Holy Catholic Church with his family, and was an inquisitive student of the bible, asking frequent questions of the nuns teaching Catechism.

In 1959, Gary’s father was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, California. Gary had been accepted to enter several colleges in the Midwest, but he elected to move to California with his family.

In the fall of 1959, he enrolled at Santa Barbara City College. After one year he transferred to UCSB where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science.

During his time in Santa Barbara, Gary worked as a night clerk at the old Mission Inn Hotel and residence. He also worked as a part-time gardener at the Biltmore Hotel.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer, Gary was accepted at UCLA law school. In 1963 he married his girlfriend Patricia Lacovara, of Lompoc. While Gary attended law school, they lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Van Nuys, and in 1964 they had their first daughter Deby.

With a growing family and the demands of law school, they often struggled financially, but Gary and Patricia maintained a confident, even humorous mindset about their lifestyle.

Following his graduation from UCLA Law, Gary was admitted to the California Bar in 1967. That same year his second daughter Vanessa was born.

After becoming a lawyer Gary spent a short time with a law firm in Orange County, then he and Patricia decided to move back to Lompoc, where they had family roots.

Gary began solo practice and represented the public and their legal needs for over 50 years.

Gary quickly developed a reputation for fighting hard for his clients. His knowledge of the law was superior, and he had great passion for his cases.

His demeanor in court was sometimes criticized, he could be abrasive at times, but he would never back down from “going to trial,” or challenging and poking authority.

He built a successful law firm and mentored several attorneys during his time in Lompoc.

Gary bought the property and initiated the construction of the Dunlap Law building on the southeast corner of H and Ocean in Lompoc, to accommodate his growing legal practice. The architecture of the building was considered too modern for Lompoc in that day, but it is now a downtown landmark.

Gary’s third daughter Meagan was born in 1976.

As Gary’s legal prominence grew, he teamed up with partners and employed additional attorneys. At separate times he owned law offices in Solvang and Pismo Beach.

He also became interested in local affairs and entered politics. He barely lost his bid for Lompoc City Council in 1968, but in 1969, was elected to the first Board of Trustees for the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District. Later, he ran unsuccessfully for Santa Barbara County District Attorney.

Gary became enamored with a beautiful, young, court administrator Lynn Cady, who would become the love of his life. In 1999, Gary and Lynn were married in a ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara.

Lynn was Gary’s devoted wife, confidant and defender for the last 30 years. Lynn also was a rock as Gary’s primary care giver during his final months.

Gary faced many obstacles over the years, professional and personal, but always maintained an optimistic attitude. He never sought out recognition for the pro bono work he provided to many of his clients in Lompoc, nor his charitable acts of kindness and good will toward his extended family and fellow man.

He befriended a lot of people who needed help, people that life seemed to have passed by, or had no family or friends to turn to for support.

Gary was born and raised Catholic, instilled with a huge heart. In heaven, no doubt he’ll dialogue with Jesus about some scripture he remembers from Catechism class.

Gary Dunlap was truly a Renaissance man, spiritually and intellectually. He was a unique persona of semi-famous people, think author Hunter S. Thompson, or George Hanson (Jack Nicholson’s character in “Easy Rider”).

Gary possessed strong principles and beliefs about the law but, as a lot of great men, had a little kink in his armor.

A favorite picture hangs in his office, that of him on his beloved Harley Davidson, dressed in full biker gear, jeans, boots, bare-chested with an open leather vest. He was ready for whatever life gave him, good or bad.

He grew up as a less-than-middle-class kid, and was the first in the Dunlap family to graduate from college and go on to a phenomenally successful career in law.

Many clients that he helped, his extended family, friends and other loved ones will miss him. Family, from the time he was a boy, was highly important to Gary. He provided comfort, advice and humor to his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. They are his true legacy.

Gary was preceded in death by his father Floyd; mother Dorothea; his first wife Patricia; and brother, David. He leaves behind his wife Lynn; her son Wade; daughter Lisa; grandchildren Emily, Lindsay and Anthony; and great grandchildren Zoe, Adeline and Hallie.

He is survived by his children Deby, Vanessa and Meagan; grandchildren Ian, Reghan, Tatiana, Brayden, Lawson and Miranda.

His love and support also went to his surviving children by his marriages to Bonnie (Puckett) Dunlap and Phyliss (Daniel) Dunlap, Andrew, Chad, Kiersten. He is also survived by his brother Doug and his children Charlotte, Scott and Carissa; his sister-in-law Donna and her children Blaine, Mark and Sherry.

A celebration of life will be held at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 23 at the Mission Club, 4300 Clubhouse Road, Lompoc. Food and drinks will be served following.

A Santa Maria style barbecue, immediately following, will be served until 6 p. m. Interment will be a private, family only, affair at Lompoc Memorial Cemetery.