Gordon Deforest Hart

Gordon D. Hart, 90, died Tuesday January 12th, 2016 at the Rogue Valley Medical Center in Medford, OR following a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Dolores Hart; his daughters & sons-in-law Carlyn (Tom) Hennecke; Mindy (Gordon) Lilly; Suzi (Matt) Beddoe; granddaughters Holly (Matt) McEwan; Anna Lilly; great grandson Cooper and many relatives and friends. Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, brother Jack and sister Ada Mae. Son of Vernon & Ada Hart, he was born in Spokane WA in 1925. Later his family moved to Odell, OR. After graduating high school, he joined the Navy, proudly serving with the Seabees during World War II. His military service took him to Hawaii, Tinian Island, the Mariannas and Okinawa. One time while home on leave, his sister introduced him to her roommate, Dolores. It was a whirlwind romance and they were married in Stevenson, WA in June 1946. After discharge from the Navy, Gordon attended Eastern Oregon and Oregon State Universities, graduating with a bachelor’s degree. He started his teaching career in Jewell, OR. Later he took a teaching job in Talent, OR where Gordon and Dolores started their family. Gordon’s career took the family to Salem OR, and in 1960, the family moved to Klamath Falls, OR. Gordon taught Industrial Arts at Klamath Union High School for 20 years. In the summer months, Gordon took on remodeling jobs; kitchens were his specialty. He also built several homes. One house was near the yacht club. After watching the sailboats come & go, he decided to take up sailing. He was a regular at the Wednesday night sailboat races, West Coast Regattas and served as Commodore of the Klamath Falls Yacht club in 1980. Gordon was an avid fisherman and spent many a Saturday morning fishing on Klamath Lake or on a nearby river. Upon retirement, Gordon & Dolores traveled extensively; visiting almost every state in the US and every province in Canada. They sailed the Caribbean and the San Juan Islands with friends and visited Spain. Gordon’s joy was his family, grandchildren and his new great-grandson. He loved the large family gatherings and he will be missed by his family and friends. A lifetime member of the Methodist Church, Gordon was active on various boards, committees and church remodel projects. Memorial contributions may be made to the Klamath Falls United Methodist Church, 230 No. 10th St., Klamath Falls, OR 97601. A memorial service will be held a later date.