William Louis Gorman

On June 8, 2016, at 94 years old and surrounded by his children, William L. Gorman passed peacefully on, joining his beloved Shirley. Bill was born February 14, 1922, to Louis James and Alice Lynch Gorman in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from St. Francis De Sales high school and attended the University of Denver and Notre Dame, where he entered the Navy-sponsored V-12 officer-training program as a medical corpsman to the Second Marine Raider Battalion. Bill was awarded the Silver Star during combat in the Bougainville Campaign, November 8, 1943, for bravery under fire and administering aid to the wounded while removing them to safety.

After his discharge in 1945, he attended Whitman College and then continued his studies at the University of Washington, graduating with a degree in civil engineering. While at Whitman, he met the love of his life, Shirley Dishman, with whom he would share the next 68 years. Adored by his three daughters, he would instill in them a love of the outdoors, teaching them to downhill ski, sail, and camp. On the weekends, Bill could be found sailing, golfing, or working on the cabin in Leavenworth. One of his true loves was his 1964 V-8 3-speed Ford Mustang.

Travel was very much a passion for Bill and Shirley, meeting new friends who they would correspond with long after. Exercise was a priority throughout his life, which led Bill to the rowing machine. In retirement, he repeatedly broke age-group records by rowing more than a million meters a year well into his 70s. He volunteered for various waterway and environmental projects and was a member of Broadmoor Golf Club. Bill is survived by Carolyn Prince (Keith), Lael Gorman (Craig) and Kimberly Rodgers (Tom), as well as grandsons Colin, Kevin, Blake, and Casey. Shirley passed away in 2015 with Bill by her side.

Bill's family would like to acknowledge the wonderful care and support from the staff at Skyline Terraces.