Gordon Edward Gillette

Gordon Edward Gillette was born on May 28, 1945 in Honolulu, Hawaii in a boy’s school that was converted into a hospital after the Pearl Harbor attack. Born to parents Glenn Gillette and Erma Annie Marble. Gordon had an older sister Arlene and two half-brothers, Karl and Jerry. Raised in Honolulu, he attended Aina Haina Elementary School, Niu Valley Junior High, and Kalani High School. While in high school, he picked up the alto saxophone, which was the same instrument his father played in college. Every few years the family would travel to the mainland and go on vacation to see sights such as Yellowstone National Park and Mt. Rushmore. He graduated from high school in 1963 and the family moved to Los Gatos, California.

Gordon served a mission in the London England Mission. After returning from a mission, he served time in the United States Army for two years and after basic training was a cook. While in Los Gatos, he attended a business school, and got his certificate in accounting. He also met Marsha Waddoups at a church singles ward activity. They were married in the Los Angeles Temple on November 25, 1972. They were chosen to watch over a baby that needed emergency foster care, and were later able to adopt him. They were sealed to their son, James Glenn on June 6, 1982 in the Oakland Temple.

Gordon was a security guard for FMC, Lockheed Martin and Barton companies to name a few, working mostly the swing and graveyard shifts. It was difficult, but Gordon would do what he needed to be able to provide for the family. He had many callings in their church ward, such as ward membership clerk, Friends of Scouting Representative, and building coordinator. His beloved wife Marsha passed away on April 29, 1995. He was devastated, but stayed strong for his son. Shortly after his wife died, he was concerned about his own health and began losing weight. He was able to get a stomach staple, and lost 220 pounds because of the procedure. He was able to keep the weight off for the rest of his life.

Jimmy has many fond memories of his father. Together they would watch wrestling on television every Monday night. They considered it Family Home Evening. He also remembers when they were setting up the church for a ward pancake breakfast and there was someone trying to come through a door. Thinking it was a friend of Jimmy’s, they held the door shut. After letting the door go and having a good laugh, they found that it was their bishop, who also broke his key off in the door trying to get the door open.

With Gordon’s help, his son served in the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission, which he was proud of for two reasons: 1. It was the same area that is wife served in, and 2. His son was the 4th generation missionary on his side. He was also able to be a part of his son being sealed in the Oakland Temple on August 10, 2002. His greatest joy was when his first grandchild, Sydney Ann was born. He loved nothing more than to show pictures of her to everyone he came in contact with, and would always ask or tell you how she was doing when you would call him on the phone.

He suffered from many health problems in his life: from diabetes and the arches on his feet collapsing, to the eventual amputation of both of his legs. After receiving a blessing from his son, he died peacefully in his sleep on August 5th, 2013 and was reunited with his beloved Marsha.