Alleged crime: 1970s, - Places lived: Washington,
- Crime state: Washington,
Was Bishopric counselor, Missionary, Scout leader, Seminary teacher, - LDS mission:
Finland - Finland (unknown) 1961-1964
-
no
Never charged, Not convicted, - Dismissed with prejudice, Lawsuit v. LDS church, Unknown result,
- Alleged failure to report
updated Oct 10, 2025 - request update- Have info to add? Tell us
Alleged crime: 
Was 
no
Gary Reese was a Mormon church member and alleged child molester in Washington state.
Reese served a full-time mission for the Mormon church in Finland from 1961 to 1964.
Reese’s attorney in 2011, G. Perrin Walker, was a Mormon and BYU graduate who was called in 2001 to be an area authority seventy. Walker was serving at the time as a Boy Scout committee chairman.
In 1986, Reese was serving as a counselor in an LDS ward bishopric in the Lakewood, Washington stake.
Reese had bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University (BYU).
He was employed by the Tacoma Public Library in Washington, where he worked as an archivist at the main library downtown, particularly with the Northwest history collection.
A source familiar with Reese told FLOODLIT.org: “As an adolescent he showed me a book of erotic Japanese photography featuring children and adults that was stored in the library vault. Gary held many church positions but most notably served as stake executive secretary for many years and my belief is that his relationship with a sympathetic stake president insulated him from accountability. The complaints listed here are probably barely scratching the surface, I know for a fact that more boys were groomed and molested by him.”
Reese allegedly actively groomed the boys under his charge for later sexual molestation.
In a civil lawsuit filed against Reese and the LDS church, plaintiffs RD and CD alleged that Reese had sexually abused them on multiple occasions, including during BSA troop meetings at Reese’s home, while on Scouting hikes and campouts, and at the LDS Ward facilities in Lakewood, Washington.
CD said in the lawsuit that he told the local LDS Bishop that Reese had molested him. In response, the LDS Bishop said that the LDS church was aware of Reese’s misconduct and had taken care of the issue, according to CD.”
Reese was accused of sexually abusing two more boys, TS and WS, in another lawsuit. They alleged that Reese fondled their genitals during Scout- related functions in the 1970s and performed other “lewd and lascivious acts.” Reese was not named as a defendant in that suit. TS and WS also said that the local Mormon bishop knew about Reese’s alleged crimes before they joined Reese’s scout troop.
The case was dismissed with prejudice in 2011.
Reese’s attorney, G. Perrin Walker, was a Mormon and BYU graduate who was called in 2001 to be an area authority seventy. Walker was serving at the time as a Boy Scout committee chairman.
Reese died in 2014. He was never married.
Sources
- Mormon Church to Open Branch of Genealogical Library Here,
- Be a family-tree sleuth,
- Everybody's ancestor was a name-dropper,
- Gary Reese: Scouting the Eagle Trail,
- Reese, Gary Fuller,
- R.D. et al v. Boy Scouts of America et al,
- 2,
- 3,
- GARY REESE OBITUARY,
- 9,
-
1. Mormon Church to Open Branch of Genealogical Library Here
-
2. Be a family-tree sleuth
(not indexed)
-
3. Everybody's ancestor was a name-dropper
(not indexed)
-
4. Gary Reese: Scouting the Eagle Trail
Gary Reese: Scouting the Eagle Trail
By Rita W. Happy
“Choose the things you can be shining in and focus on them to serve.”
Gary Fuller Reese of the Lakewood Washington Stake subscribes to that philosophy. He emphasizes that it is important to be a “balanced person” as well as identify unique talents that will bless the lives of others.
Gary took stock of himself after returning from a mission and decided that his skills included genealogy and Scouting. Now, at forty-seven, he has submitted more than thirty thousand names for temple work and has assisted more than fifty young men in attaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
But observers in the Church and community point out that Brother Reese has developed his abilities in other fields as well. He maintains a cupboardful of ward and stake histories and scrapbooks. He also is noted in the Tacoma-Pierce County area as a knowledgeable speaker and author on local history.
Gary was born in Logan, Utah, to Perry Leland and Edith Mary Fuller Reese on 2 August 1938, the middle child of three and a descendant of Latter-day Saint pioneers. During World War II, Gary’s father, who was employed at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, moved his family to Tacoma so he could take a job at McChord Army-Air Force Base.
“Father had tried to join the Army, but he had pernicious anemia. He felt this work was something he could do to help his country,” Gary recalls.
After short stays in three different houses, the family moved to a five-acre plot in South Tacoma.
“We raised everything and canned everything because the Church taught us to,” Brother Reese recalls. “We gardened, bought big tunas to can—and Mother even bottled the feet of chickens because she heard they made good soup. We picked berries and made jam. To this day I can’t look a currant in the face!”
The family soon learned the wisdom of developing provident living skills. Perry Reese died in 1953, leaving two sons and a daughter to be raised by his determined wife, Edith. Knowing she needed additional education, Sister Reese attended a university in Tacoma for two years, Brigham Young University for a year while Gary was there, and then a school in Detroit for a year. Then she returned to Tacoma to take a teaching job.
Gary’s growing-up years included a try at Scouting. “We had some Scout programs,” he said, “but there were so many changes of advisers that we never got going.” Still, he achieved Star Scout rank and earned enough merit badges for the rank of Life Scout. But he didn’t receive the advancement because he didn’t know how to complete it on his own. He also earned the Duty to God and the old Deseret Recognition awards.
At BYU Brother Reese earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, “sweeping floors to earn money to get through school.”
In 1961 he accepted a call for a 2 1/2 year mission to Finland. He served under two mission presidents and concluded his service as mission secretary and Young Men president.
Returning to Washington, he earned a second master’s degree, in librarianship, from the University of Washington. Then he took a position at the Tacoma Public Library in 1965. He has been there ever since.
“I have been assisting in developing an in-depth collection of local history,” he says. In addition to helping develop a number of significant collections, he has been busy as an author and researcher. The library’s computer index lists Gary Fuller Reese as author or editor of twenty works.
His humorous, story-filled talks on local history are favorites in the Tacoma area. He has spoken to dozens of clubs and service groups and has taught both local history and genealogy at Tacoma community colleges.
His enthusiasm for historic preservation spilled over from boards and committees into his Scout work. Brother Reese developed a historic trails award which was adopted by the Mount Rainier Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The award can be earned “in about a summer with the help of a Scoutmaster,” he says. LDS Scouts pioneered the way, trying the trails and hunting for the monuments in a five-year pilot study.
Brother Reese helped design the five-part patch the Scouts earn. When a boy completes requirements for one part of the award, he applies for the basic patch and the “point of the compass” representing that facet of history. Other segments are awarded as each section of requirements is completed.
Scouts earn the award by visiting historical museums and sites, hiking significant trails and routes including at least ten miles on the “Indian Henry hunting ground” at Mount Rainier National Park, reporting on aspects of area history, and performing some task to help preserve markers and monuments placed in historic locations.
A former Scoutmaster and now a troop committee member, Brother Reese has gone over those historic routes dozens of times, introducing small groups of boys to their local heritage and to the skills of Scouting. Some weeks he has made three trips to one of his favorite areas, the Carbon River and surrounding foothills that sprawl in the shadow of Mount Rainier.
“Every hike, every outing, every overnight trip has a focus and can fit into the merit badges I deal with,” Brother Reese says. “Outings can combine service hours for some, Eagle projects for others, and lessons on trees and shrubs for the younger boys.”
He watches for teaching moments on outings.
“It’s easy to let them slip by,” he explains, “and sometimes it is hard to create another one. My technique is to build close relationships with each boy so the things we need to do can get done. We have to follow merit badge requirements, but we can make it a learning experience, not an ordeal.”
Brother Reese has watched boys become confused by the paper shuffling involved in keeping track of awards and work in progress. “Very few kids have the ability to keep their paperwork organized to get the job done,” he comments. “Most boys just don’t know how.” But his complete journal system provides documentation for the boys who fill merit badge assignments under his supervision.
Brother Reese, who is not married, shares a home with his mother. The house sometimes overflows with boys who are working on Scout projects.
In addition to his employment and Scouting, he juggles the responsibilities of stake executive secretary, assistant stake clerk, stake historical arts correspondent, and teacher of a teenage Sunday School class. He has held most of these assignments for several years. He served as counselor in a bishopric before being called as stake executive secretary.
“No one has time to be this involved,” Brother Reese chuckles. “But we all make time to do the things we believe are important.”
-
5. Reese, Gary Fuller
biographical statement
Citation:
UPB files, Feb. 13, 2013 (senior missionary, director of the MIA program in the Finland Mission)Ensign, Aug. 1986 (Gary Reese; Gary Fuller Reese; member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Lakewood Washington Stake; involved in Scouting and genealogy work; local church historian; b. Aug. 2, 1938 in Logan, Utah; parents: Perry Leland and Edith Mary Fuller Reese; moved to Tacoma, Wash. during World War II; attended Brigham Young University, earned bachelor's and master's degrees in history; served mission to Finland, 1961-1964; served in mission office and with Young Men; master's degree in library science, University of Washington, 1965; worked for the Tacoma Public Library, beginning 1965; served in various positions in church, including bishopric member and stake executive secretary)
News Tribune, Oct. 25, 2007 (Gary Reese; manager of special collections at Tacoma Public Library)
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Gary Fuller Reese collection on the Finland Mission
Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 8140
Scope and ContentsContains material for the Finland Mission collected by Reese during his missionary service. Includes lessons to learn the Finnish language, correspondence, mission information, and other material from 1962-1964.
Dates: 1962-1964
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Gary Fuller Reese collection on the Finland Mission -
6. R.D. et al v. Boy Scouts of America et al
-
7. 2
-
8. 3
-
9. GARY REESE OBITUARY
Gary Fuller Reese Was born August 2, 1938 in Logan, Utah the second son of 3 children born to Perry Leland and Edith Mary Fuller Reese and was a descendant of the Utah Pioneers. Gary was 75 years old when, on June 9, 2014, he left this life for a better one. He was reunited with his parents who preceded him in death; Perry in 1953 and Edith in 2011. Gary has lived in the Tacoma/Steilacoom area for many years, having come to this area with his parents during World War II, when his father took a job at McChord Air Force Base. His father died when Gary was 15 and his mother, who now found herself the sole support of this little family, practiced the skills of provident living. "We raised everything and canned everything..," he said, "We gardened, bought big tunas to canand Mother even bottled the feet of chickens because she heard they made good soup. We picked berries and made jam. To this day I can't look a currant in the face!" He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in history at Brigham Young University, sweeping floors to earn money to get through school. In 1961 he became a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ, serving in Finland for 2 ½ years. Returning to Washington he then earned a second master's degree in library science from the University of Washington. Upon graduating in 1965 he took a position at the Tacoma public library. He worked there till his retirement in 2004 when he received high accolades for his many years of service to the library and the people of the Puget Sound area. He was passionate about his work. He researched and developed large holdings of historical information. He wrote many books on the history of the greater Pierce County area and beyond. He was a popular speaker and a wonderful story teller. With a twinkle in his eye, he would drop his voice, draw you in, and make you feel like you were the only one in the room as he confided something to you no one had ever heard before. Gary loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the LDS church, serving diligently his whole life. He served as scout master for many years and is responsible for helping more than 50 young men reach the rank of Eagle Scout. He held many positions, serving as a Counselor in the Ward Bishopric, Seminary Teacher for the youth, Stake Executive Secretary, Stake Historical Arts Correspondent to name a few. Gary was quoted as having said, "No one has time to be this involved, but we all make time to do the things we believe are important." He lived these words to the highest. Gary Fuller Reese blessed the lives of many, was well loved and will be greatly missed. Services to honor Gary's life will be held Saturday June 14th at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel 5420 104th St SW, Lakewood, Viewing at 9:00 a.m. and church service to follow at 10:00 a.m. Should friends desire, the family suggests you make a memorial contribution to the Boy Scouts of America Pacific Harbors Council-4802 S. 19th St, Tacoma, WA 98405.
-
10. 9
Documents
Have docs or info? Add information
Criminal case documents
We believe this person was never criminally charged, so no related criminal case documents exist. If you have information that suggests otherwise, please contact us.
Civil case documents
Floodlit does not have a copy of a related civil complaint. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for one.Other documents
Floodlit does not have a copy of any other related documents. Please check back soon or contact us to request that we look for some.
Add information
If someone you know was harmed by the person listed on this page, or if you would like us to add or correct any information, please fill out the form below. We will keep you anonymous. You can also contact us directly.
Other Mormon sex abuse cases
-
- Douglas Lovell (1958 – ) was a Mormon church member in Clearfield, Utah; accused of sexual abuse of a woman he murdered, Joyce Yost; Lovell claimed the LDS church meddled in his 2015 trial by discouraging a former prison bishop from testifying in his defense
- View report »
-
-
- Chesley Pierson (1928 – 2021) was an LDS bishop, stake presidency counselor and stake patriarch in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; accused of sexually abusing multiple young men
- View report »
-
-
- John Doe was an LDS church member in California; in 2024, accused in a civil lawsuit of child sexual abuse; the suit was one of 91 or more coordinated civil suits filed in California in 2024 against the Mormon church
- View report »
-
-
- Michael Coleman (1960 – ) was an LDS bishop and former sound recording engineer in Mesa, Arizona (Lehi 2nd Ward); arrested in 2014 for sexual solicitation of a minor online; the alleged crime took place while he was bishop
- View report »
-
-
- Kevin Bowman (1980 – ) was an LDS first counselor in a ward bishopric and a restaurant owner in Spanish Fork, Utah; was an LDS missionary in Taiwan 1999-2001; accused of sexual abuse of a teenage girl who worked in his restaurant; arrested in July 2023; in June 2024, found guilty by a jury of forcible sexual abuse (second-degree felony) and lewdness (class B misdemeanor); sentencing set for July 29, 2024
- View report »
-
