Biography

IN LOVING MEMORY

JAMES L. “JIM” GORDON
May 30, 1920 ~ August 17, 2010
Cody, Wyoming
Age: 90 years, 2 months, 17 days

FUNERAL SERVICE
1:00 PM Friday, August 20, 2010
Ballard Funeral Home, Cody, Wyoming
Pastor Tim Stanwood, Officiating
Linda Schoening, Organist
Jim Edman, Pianist
Poem
“Out Fishing”
Ed Christensen, Reader
Special Music
“The Old Rugged Cross” ~ “Danny Boy”
“Ave Maria” ~ “You'll Never Walk Alone”
Lisa Courtney, Vocalist

INTERMENT
Riverside Cemetery, Cody, Wyoming
Pastor Tim Stanwood, Officiating
V.F.W. Post 2673, Military Honors

PALLBEARERS
Dale Edman ~ Patrick Friedly ~ Justin Bue
Rick Edman ~ Jim Edman ~ Joe Edman

HONORARY PALLBEARERS
Matt Tully ~ Travis Haynes ~ Steve Simmons
Quent Bradwisch ~ Tom Edman ~ Larry Johnson
Don Tomasek ~ Jim Denton ~ Don A. Schlaf

James L. “Jim” Gordon, was born May 30, 1920 in Ashland, Wisconsin to Allan and Anne Halvorson Gordon. He grew up on the shores of Lake Superior. Jim and his brother Allan were raised by their Grandparents Sarah and Edward Gordon due to the untimely death of their Mother. The Gordon family owned and operated Gordon’s Business College during his youth and prior to WWII in Ashland.

Jim enlisted in the Army Air Corp, now the US Air Force, in 1941. He served in Australia and New Guinea during WWII. He was able to visit Washington D.C. on the Wyoming Honor Flight this last September. Jim loved and fought for his country.

After the war, he returned home and met and married Velma Novak. They raised three daughters, Linda, Debbie, and Marilee. They later divorced.

Jim worked for the Frontier Refining Company in Denver, CO, and accepted a transfer to Cody in the fall of 1968 when Husky Oil purchased Frontier. In 1975 he met and later married the love of his life and best friend, Jo. They had 34 wonderful years together. Jim retired in 1983 from Husky Oil and he and Jo were able to travel throughout most of their years together. Jim was an avid fisherman all his life. He loved camping, backpacking into the back country for his fishing trips, and also his fishing trips to Canada. He took great pride in his home and dearly loved his family. He had a quick smile and always had a story to tell! Jim was a scholar, reading and learning every day. He was known as “The Answer Man” to his family because if you wanted to know about something, just ask Daddy or Grandpa!

Jim is survived by his wife Jo of 34 years, daughters Linda (Don) Tomasek, of Johnstown, Co, Marilee (Larry) Johnson, of Cody, and Marlene(Tom) Edman of Salt Lake City, UT, twelve grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, brother Allan Gordon, and daughter Debbie Gordon-Starkey. Jim will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

Visitation

Thursday August 19, 2010, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM at Ballard Funeral Home
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Funeral Service

Friday August 20, 2010, 1:00 PM at Ballard Funeral Home
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Committal Service

Friday August 20, 2010 at Riverside Cemetery
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