Gordon was the oldest of six children born to Glenn and Hazel Van Nornam. The family moved to Florida in 1947 where he graduated from Winter Park High School in Winter Park, Florida. Shortly thereafter, Gordon enlisted in the Navy during the Korean war and served his country from 1952-1955 on the USS Delta.
Upon returning home from the service, he noticed a beautiful young woman had moved into the neighborhood from Michigan with her family. He was warned by his family that her father was very strict. However, a 3-month courtship ensued and on June 3, 1956, Gordon married Patricia Cook. They opened their hearts to two children, Laurie and Scott.
Out of high school, Gordon worked for Mr. Showalter of Showalter Field and Flying Service in Winter Park, Florida. He also worked as a manager and auditor for 7-Eleven stores. The career he enjoyed the most was that of welder of structural steel and fabricator for Modern Welding where he retired from them in 1993.
Gordon and Patricia have always been very active in their church. They attended Grace Journey Community Church in Orlando, Florida, for more than 30 years; and, when they moved to Lake Wales in 2017, they became members of Lake Pierce Baptist Church in Lake Wales, Florida.
Not only was Gordon a sports enthusiast, but he was also known as the man that could fix anything. Being over 6 foot at an early age, he was chosen to play varsity basketball with high school students. He enjoyed working on cars and could be found many a weekend working on cars with his daughter and later his grandson, Lee. He found peace and joy in fishing and enjoyed watching his Gators play football no matter what the outcome. His love of cars led he and Patricia often to the races on the sands at Daytona Beach. The two of them loved taking long walks on the beach.
Gordon is survived by his wife, Patricia; his daughter, Laurie (husband, Andrew); and his son, Scott. He has three grandsons, Lee Railey (fiancée, Jessica), Drew Youngman, and Zachery Van Norman. He has one great grandson, Louie Van Allen Railey. Gordon is also survived by his sister, Betty Faulk, sister-in-law, Beverly Bender, and several nieces and nephews.
Gordon loved the Lord and his wife and used every opportunity to talk about them to everybody he met. We will miss the love you shared, your singing, your laughter and jokes, but we know that the empty space in our hearts will be filled when we see you again. We love you very much!
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for donations to be made to the Florida Baptist Children’s Home.
