Leonard Irving Gorton

Leonard “Len” Irving Gorton, 94, of New Bern, North Carolina, died June 17, 2024, in New Bern following a brief illness.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 24 at Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory in New Bern, NC.

Mr. Gorton was born May 3, 1930 in Dobbs Ferry, New York and was the son of the late Paul J. and Lillias J. “Doty” Gorton.

Len attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Elmsford, New York, in 1946 and earned his general education diploma from the State University of New York at Albany in 1951. He graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in 1963.

Before earning his GED, Len enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1947 to 1950, spending much of that time stationed in Germany. He received the Occupation Service Medal (European Clasp) and a Good Conduct Medal.

After graduating from KSU, Len worked in the aerospace division of McDonnel Douglas. In January 1966, he joined the Missile and Space Division in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Much of his work in the space field involved working on components that went into NASA space projects, including Gemini and Apollo.

He spent the final 20 years of his engineering career working for the U.S. Postal Service, including at headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he set up a new computer system.

In 1992, he retired to New Bern.

Len enjoyed boating, traveling and family vacations at the Outer Banks. He always had pets and was particularly fond of cats.

He was a member of The New Bern American Legion Post 539 and Garber United Methodist Church.

On June 13, 1957, he married Priscilla A. Corcoran Gorton, who survives.

Also surviving are his daughter, Lynn Gorton of Mesa, Arizona; his son and daughter-in-law, Eric and Linda Gorton of Harrisonburg, Virginia; two grandsons, Brian Gorton of Berlin, Germany and David Gorton of Harrisonburg, Virginia; his sister and brother-in-law, Claire and Tom Finnen of Pleasant Valley, New York; a brother, Martin Gorton of Berlin, New York; and a number of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Grover Gorton and a sister, Harriett Hannon.

Flowers are welcome as are donations in Len's memory to charities of your choice that support veterans or wildlife conservation.

You may address condolences and share memories by visiting www.cottenfuneralhome.com.

Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Gorton family.