Gordon Boyd McLeod

His family moved to Minneapolis when he was 3, where he spent the entirety of his school-age years, graduating from Southwest HS and the University of Minnesota. As a boy, he caught what was then the largest fish ever caught in Lake Harriett. After 2 years of college, he joined the Air Force and was ultimately stationed in the Aleutian Islands during the Korean War, where he worked for Armed Forces Radio. At the conclusion of his military career, he returned to complete his degree at UM, with a degree in Mining, which eventually took him all over the world.

He lived and worked in Colorado (several times), Idaho, and Oregon before marrying in 1958 and beginning a career with Caterpillar Tractor Company. While working for Cat, he lived in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, and spent five years in Tokyo, Japan. He traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and Australia from Tokyo. In 1977 he left Caterpillar and opened his own tractor dealership in Tallahassee, Florida.

For much of his life he was involved in the Boy Scouts, attained the highest honor of Eagle Scout, and served as a Scoutmaster.

He was a devout Christian and despite never being in one place for very long, was always active in the church he attended. After his entertainment experiences in the service, he continued to write and act in church and local community productions for most of his life. He liked people, whether at church or at the hardware store, and loved to chat. He was quick with a corny joke or silly T-shirt. In spite of his famous appetite, he had excellent health until the last month of his life, so much so that at 90 years old his wife would return home and find him working on the roof. He had a mechanical aptitude and loved to tinker at his work bench or in the yard.

Gordon re-married in 1994 to Audrey Gayda. They shared a wonderful life together and enjoyed traveling, nature, and socializing with family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Audrey, 4 of 5 children, 8 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren, all of whom he was very proud.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in his memory may be made to: Senior Friendship Centers www.friendshipcenters.org/donate or Empath Health www.suncoasthospicefoundation.org/circle-of-caring-donation

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 22 at 2:00pm at Park Forest Clubhouse, 325 Indian River Lane, Englewood, FL.

For online tributes, please visit www.rtsfunerals.com