Gordon Keith Manns

Gordon Keith Manns (also known as Keith by friends and family) passed away on January 7, 2018. He was born on April 22, 1932, in Portland, Oregon, to his parents, Claude Cecil and Anna Gladys Manns. He was raised in the Gresham/Centennial area. He moved many times throughout his grade school years because his parents owned small corner grocery stores, and attended many of the schools in the Gresham/Centennial area. Gordon graduated from Gresham High School in 1951.

Gordon served in the United States Air Force from 1952 through 1954 as a First Class Airman. He was stationed in Japan as part of the Red Devil Flying and Maintenance Crew, and he also ran the auto pool for transporting officials.

Gordon married Helen Margaret Salathe on February 21, 1955, and spent over 62 years together.

Following his service in the Air Force, Gordon began his career as a butcher at Safeway in 1954. He cut meat at various markets in Portland until 1975. He then sold meat for White Poultry from 1975 until he retired in June of 1993.

Gordon was so excited to retire, and he and Helen took a four month RV road trip to the southwest and as far as South Dakota.

From 1994 until 2015, Gordon and Helen spent late spring through fall in Portland, and winters in their motorhome in Palm Springs, where Gordon loved to golf and he volunteered for several different celebrity golf tournaments. He loved to drive, so Gordon’s job at the golf tournaments was to drive shuttles. He met many interesting people and celebrities.

Gordon was a long standing member of the Milwaukie Elks Trailer Club. He started camping every month with them in 1972, and he was still camping with them every month. He loved any social gathering, and through the trailer group he met people who became his lifelong friends.

Every person Gordon met he considered a friend, and he would go out of his way to help anyone. Gordon will always be remembered as a fun loving friend and father who was always planning his next adventure, whether it was camping, parties or lunch. He will be greatly missed.

Gordon was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Manns. He is survived by his daughters, Shan (Richard) Davis and Sheila (Jerry) Van Zant; his grandchildren, Chris Davis, Katie and Sabastian Mossell, Andy and Maggie Van Zant, Austin Van Zant and Camille Brady; his great grandchildren, Laila, Lucas and Logan Mossell, and Hadley Van Zant; and his brother, Hobart (Merri) Manns. He will be missed.

A Celebration of Gordon’s Life will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2018, at 3:00 at the Elks Lodge in Milwaukie, OR. All are invited to celebrate with us.