Gene Fidello Gordon

Gene Fidello Gordon was born April 26th, 1930, to Levi Delbert Gordon and Pauline Brashear Gordon in La Center, Washington.  Gene was the fourth out of five boys.  He loved telling stories about helping his grandma cook at the logging camp and about all the "adventures" he and his brothers got into growing up in La Center, Washington.  While at La Center High School he was a three-sport athlete, and this began his lifelong love of sports.



Following in his older brothers' footsteps, in 1948 Gene enlisted in the Navy where he was trained as a radioman.  In 1952, while stationed at Key West, Florida, he met and married Anne Clarke and settled in Vancouver, Washington. They had four children: Mary Ann, Lynwood, Rodney (aka Levi) and Susan.  Gene served on the Evergreen School District's Board of Directors in the early 1960's. The marriage ended in divorce in 1965.  Gene used the G.I. bill to complete his business administration degree at Lewis and Clark College in 1956.  The next forty years Gene worked in the banking industry.



In 1966, while working at First National Bank he met and married Rosemary Roso. They had three daughters, Patricia, Debra and Linda and settled in Gladstone, Oregon.  He kept busy working, refereeing, and flipping houses before it was even cool.  The family home on Doncaster Drive was a center of neighborhood activity. After 35 years of marriage Rosemary died in 2000.  In 2002, he married Dee White and moved to Hillsboro where he joined the American Legion Post #104 and served in the Post Honor Guard. Dee passed away in 2016.



In 2019, Gene moved to Courtyard Village in Raleigh Hills where he enjoyed daily soup, the Men's group and poker.  Gene had a life-long love of sports: he was a Blazer season ticket holder, a high school football and basketball referee, and a coach.  Gene also loved trains of all kinds, model and real.  He read every book and watched any documentary about railroading he could find. Up until the end of his life Gene was still listening to his favorite big band music.



In addition to his wives, Gene was preceded in death by his parents and brothers. He is survived by his children Mary Carlson (Ernie), Lyn Gordon (Martha), Levi Gordon (Bluebird), Sue Lowder (Brian), Patty Gabrish (Patrick), Debbie Freepons (Earl) and Linda Mills (Dave) along with 18 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and many beloved nieces and nephews.



There will be a private family interment at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.



In lieu of flowers Gene would value gifts to American Legion Post #104.