Obituary of Gregory William Fagen

A Graveside Service will be on July 29, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at the Gridley-Biggs Cemetery in Gridley CA, for Gregory Fagen of Chico, CA. Greg was born February 2, 1947 in San Diego, CA to William and Carolyn Fagen. He was a longtime resident of Butte County. The Fagen family moved to Salinas where he attended elementary and high school. Growing up with his best friend, Roger Deet, his mother would ask the boys what they were up to and they would respond, “Making bombs!” Greg’s father worked at Soledad Prison and had one of the inmates forge a work permit for Greg to work in the fields, so that he could put himself through school. At a very young age, Greg developed a love for shooting. Every weekend his dad would take him out shooting. He graduated from Hartnell Junior College and joined the Navy, serving two years active duty in Vietnam. Part of that time he served as yeoman aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard. He was #1 in his battalion for marksmanship. Upon returning home, Greg worked 3 jobs; the Navy Reserves, the fields in Salinas and at a lumber company, all the while taking a full loads of classes at California State University, Chico in order to earn his B.A. in Social Science. He received his Master of Social Work from CSU, Sacramento. Chico was also where he met Lafayette Clark, who he considered his brother. In 1982, he became a father to Marion Carolyn Copeland (Shank). He cherished his time with Marion, and was so proud when she became a nurse. He was anticipating becoming a grandfather in October, 2016. While hunting last year, he bagged an elk, an opportunity he never thought he would have, let alone such a beautiful specimen. Greg loved spending time on his many hobbies. He loved shooting and riding his motorcycle. He was a lifetime member of the NRA and a member of the Paradise Rod Club. He worked for 35 years at Butte County Behavioral Health, retiring in 2004. It was while working a Behavioral Health that he met and began a long and loving relationship with Patty Watson, a love that lasted for 25 years. Greg is survived by his daughter, Marion (Matt) Shank, as well as his life partner, Patricia Watson.