Gary Paul Soulsby

December 23rd, 1943 - August 17th, 2025

Memorial

Mementos

Gary Paul Soulsby, age 81, of Everett, Washington, passed away peacefully on August 17, 2025, at his family’s home.

Born on December 23, 1943, in McMinnville, TN, to Reba Deane Soulsby and Dr. Paul C. Soulsby, Gary grew up in St. Albans, WV. He earned a degree in electrical engineering at West Virginia University, was a navigator in the US Air Force, where he flew aerial refueling tankers in the Vietnam War, and later worked as Engineer in Charge for the Federal Communications Commission. He was known for his ingenuity and technical skill, developing location detection technology in the very early days of computer programming to support critical missions for the FCC and the Department of Homeland Security and Public Safety. His contributions to these organizations continue to be used to this day.

Gary embraced life with a sense of adventure. He found joy in camping, pointing out navigator’s constellations in the stars, riding motorcycles, and exploring every rugged backroad he could find in his beloved RV. He solved problems in creative ways with a mischievous streak and fearless spirit that encouraged his children and grandchildren to push boundaries, to never settle, and to take paths less expected. His love of computers and technology became a gift he passed down, inspiring three of his grandchildren to follow in his footsteps and build careers in the same field.

Above all, family was at the heart of Gary’s life. He gave of himself freely—offering steady support, quiet generosity, and endless time for those he loved. Nothing brought him greater joy than being with family, especially his grandchildren, who were his pride and delight.

The family will gather privately to celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The National Park Foundation, National Forest Foundation, or Parkinson’s Foundation.

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Shelley Baldiga

FCC internal announcement: ----------------------------------- I wish to convey the sad news that Gary Soulsby, retired FCC engineer, passed away in his sleep after suffering from Parkinson’s disease for the last 8 years. Gary grew up in a small town in West Virginia, where his father was the town’s doctor. He often told stories that, because of this, growing up, he could not get away with anything. He attended West Virginia University, where he earned his Electrical Engineering Degree and served as a navigator in the Air Force during the Vietnam era. Gary served with the FCC for 43 years. He began his career with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau in the Seattle Field Office and later promoted to Engineer in Charge. In the early 1990s, the FCC asked Gary to take on a position and focus his programming skills to support the Enforcement Bureau’s legacy equipment upgrades to repurpose it for special investigations, Wild Fire response, and National Security deployments. He was a self-trained programmer with decades of engineering and spectrum investigations experience. This experience, combined with his passion and dedication, proved a valuable combination that resulted in custom sensor software that was and still is utilized by the FCC as well as public safety partner agencies. Over his career, Gary deployed on numerous special investigations, inter-agency deployments, and training exercises. He was an excellent instructor, using his wit and humor to win over students and keep their interest. In 2007, the FCC Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau asked Gary and myself to work together with our agency partners on Project Roll Call. The task was to adapt Gary’s Basic Computer Analyzer Program (BCAP) for a FEMA disaster response mission called “Project Roll Call”. The initial Roll Call sensor box was deployed in the FCC Enforcement Bureau's New Orleans field office and is still utilized today. Gary provided Roll Call and other software support until 2018, when the effects of Parkinson’s disease were too much. Gary was not only a colleague and mentor, but also a valuable friend. Over the last several years, Gary enjoyed his life as a Father and Grandpa, spending time, traveling, and enjoying life. We would not have Roll Call today if it were not for his efforts. His imprint on the FCC and our agency partner’s lives on; his key is now silent.