Joseph M. Gifford Obituary (1948 - 2026)

Joseph M. Gifford "Joe" was born in Portland, Oregon on September 16, 1948 and passed away on June 11, 2026 in Yakima, Washington. He graduated from Granger High School in 1966 and began working for Prosser Packers where he quickly became a Lead Man. Shortly thereafter he became an insurance agent with Prudential where he continued to work until 1992 when he was forced to retire for medical reasons. Joe is survived by his wife, Wilma, to whom he was married for 57 years. Joe and Wilma moved their family home to Selah, WA in 1984 when he was promoted to a management position in Prudential’s Yakima office. He is survived by his children Leatha L. Barker (Rodney), Kevin Gifford, Joseph M. Gifford, Jr. (Valerie), Christopher M. Gifford (Gloria), and Craig A. Gifford, six grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Carrie, sister, Martha, and brothers Frank and Bill. Known for his unconventional, quirky, sometimes dark, and absurd sense of humor, the saying “To know him is to love him” definitely applied to Joe … and he was loved by many. He thoroughly enjoyed sharing his passion for target shooting, casting his own bullets, reloading ammunition, and firearms history with his family, and friends. In his retirement Joe enjoyed becoming a self-taught hobby machinist, “popping caps” at the gun range, spending time with family and his close friends, and spoiling the many dogs (and cats) the family had over the years. A private service for close friends and family will be held in September. Donations in Joe’s honor may be made to Schreiner’s Children’s Hospital or the Yakima Humane Society.