Gordon R. Graveen

Gordon Robert Graveen, 78, of 60 Applewood Lane, Glastonbury, died March 21, 2010 at home, with a view of his woods, surrounded by family in a bed built by his son Bill. Gordon, aka “Gorgeous,” was commonly known as Gordy but sometimes traveled under the alias “Mr. G.” He always responded to “Daddyo” or “Grandpa” and turned bright red when he was called “Sweetie.”He loved chopping down trees and splitting wood with a maul. Stacking firewood was his avocation and a steady fire was always burning at his “House in the Woods.” Gordy was a traveler (with the “Carbide Bridge Group”), but his annual trips back home to Northern Wisconsin where he and his older brother Cliff could build bonfires that could be spotted from outer space were his favorite . Gordon left no bucket list behind but he did take down two one hundred foot oaks in his backyard that he worried about. He reminded us often that these logs needed to be split for the coming season and readied for the many friends who came to him for firewood.Gordy was the fourth child of Ernest & Lulu Graveen. He is survived by his sisters Bernice Graveen, Irma Anklam and his brother Cliff Graveen, all currently residing in Wisconsin. He was raised on a small farm in the Town of Rib Mountain. There he attended a one room school and worked as a teen at Pradel Drug Store in Wausau earning $6 per week. High School friends Marv Schuette and Orville Mallek were his two best life-long friends. Gordy was drafted into the Army and spent two years in Korea as an artillery specialist. He returned home from the conflict and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin where he met his future wife Jane Gentzel Graveen. The two Badgers, Jane (a native Buckeye) & Gordon, were married in 1957 and raised a family on 1234 Homeland Drive, Rocky River, Ohio (picture Norman Rockwell). Gordon worked his entire professional life for Union Carbide and Jane worked as a Spanish teacher. They were married for 42 years until Jane died in 1999. Their daughter Susan, a striking combination of the best of both parents, remains in Ohio and is married to Dr. Steven Bernard, a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic where Gordon was treated for melanoma cancer. Their three children Brian (20), Jeff (19) and Maddie (16) never shared Grandpa Gordy’s enthusiasm for chopping down trees but share his love of bonfires. Oldest son David and wife Annette employed Gordy for the past 15 years in his “Second Career.” He was the backbone of the Popcorn Movie Poster Company family and he continued to believe that his paycheck was “in the mail.” Youngest son Bill shared Gordy’s passion for baseball and his beloved New York Yankees. Both were subscribers to the Yes Network and last summer they made their annual pilgrimage to their Mecca: Yankee Stadium. They drank beer in the blazing sun and watched Yogi tip his cap at the Old Timer’s Game. Both liked woodworking tools: one using a chain-saw, the other a jointer; it’s easy to identify the source of Bill’s self-reliance and dedication to craftsmanship and perfection.Gordon was lucky to “find” Marge Clay in 2000. Marge has been a constant and loving companion who kept him young at heart and very active with projects that helped renew his beloved “House in the Woods.” Her children Jennifer Bryant, Meredith Damboise and Amanda Keller regularly gathered at the “House in the Woods” for Thanksgiving. Marge’s families’ love and interest in all things “Gordy” was very visible because they didn’t mind hearing his stories, over and over again….

Gordon loved Nueske’s Applewood Smoked bacon and liked to have desert with every meal. On vacations, he carried a pre-mixed soda bottle full of Manhattans. Gordy’s #1 Rule: Maple syrup from Wisconsin is always preferable to Vermont syrup. Homemade blackberry wine is never worth the trouble. He loved KD Lang & Tony Bennett’s duet “It’s a Wonderful World” and his Ipod was loaded with music that allowed him to jump from Claudio Arrau to Polka King Whoopee John. Yankee Doodle Dandy was the first movie he ever saw in a theater; Pearl Harbor was his last. He loved high stakes poker. On December 9, 1965 he drew an Ace of Spades and played a Royal Flush. Tom Hunt, John Ferguson, Grant Miller, Ed Ellerbrock and Jack Congalton bet against. His first dog was named Puddles and the family horse was named Bob. He loved to track mileage and calculate mpg. Dump runs were a favorite Saturday morning routine. He loved Excel spreadsheets but he never got into texting because his fingers were so large. Gorgeous was a longtime Board Member for The Green Cemetery and a 30 year member of The First Church. He loved HDTV. He worked with intention. Even as a lifelong conservative he could not resist the “Cash for Clunkers” program. In the summer of 2009, Gordy “Clunked” his Infinity Q45 Luxury sedan for a Volkswagen Diesel Jetta TDI…his life was well ordered but full of surprises.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, March 24th at 1 PM in the First Church of Christ, Main St., Glastonbury, with a reception following in the Church Hall. Friends may call at the Glastonbury Funeral Home, 450 New London Tpke., Glastonbury, Tuesday, March 23rd, 3-7 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jane Graveen Scholarship Fund, C/O Glastonbury Board of Education, Attn: Christine Brown, 232 E. Williams St., Glastonbury, CT 06033.