Gordy attended Friends schools in New Jersey before being accepted into a Navy ROTC program at the University of Virginia. He graduated in 1953 with a commission and a degree in economics before setting off on the battleship Missouri for the summer. He and Sally were married in 1953 but, sadly, divorced when their two children were quite young. Having tasted the commuter life across the river to Philadelphia, he decided to pack up and go west to California. Gordy put his experience with boats to good use as a yacht salesman as well as participation in numerous well known races. He gave up on yacht sales when one of his clients asked him to restore an antique yawl which was berthed in Sweden and needed extensive restoration. He took it on and with his first mate, Gerd Oberg, sailed the Mediterranean in summer and spent winters in Sweden. His daughter, Lisa was born in September of 1973.
When the same client bought an estate on fishers island off the coast of Connecticut he offered Gordy the opportunity to restore a land based property rather than another yacht; Gordy jumped at the opportunity but Gerd did not want to leave Sweden so Lisa and Gerd stayed there, to be reunited with Gordy several years later.
Gordy kept his last illness pretty much to himself knowing the consequences of not taking recommended treatment, recognizing that the treatment would be debilitating, he opted to feel better for a shorter period of time rather than a longer life but feeling unwell. He was a man who made his own decisions
After sharing his conviction that he had had a wonderful, interesting and fulfilling life he said it was time to go. Like a cat he had many lives, constantly curious he was unique in walking away from one life to another without looking back.
Gordon Malan Krusen died on June 2 nd at the healthcare center at Essex Meadows. He was being cared for by Hartford Healthcare’s hospice team. Gordy was born June 25 th 1931. He leaves his wife Susan Budlong Cole, his brother, Leslie C. Krusen Jr. “Pete” in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and his two daughters, Kathryn Krusen (her husband Randall Kostick) and their daughter Samantha of San Francisco and Lisa Oberg of Stockholm, Sweden and her two sons Marcelo and Lucas Oberg Leone. A son, David, predeceased him, as did his first wife, Sally Shipman Krusen. He a lso left two loving stepdaughters, (Susan’s daughters) Jen, with husband Ben Smith and Katherine and husband Dennis Brake.
At the request of the deceased there will be no services and no calling hours. Burial at the Eight Mile River cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation in his name to either Compassion and Choices or the Lyme Land Trust.
Gordy died as he lived, as his own man. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
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