Gordon Sarver

As the oldest son of Gordon J. Sarver, I’ve written this as a tribute to my dad. I believe I speak for my brothers and extended family.

Gordon was the proud husband of Cheryl Thom Sarver and father of Daryl, Greg, Glenn, and Kevin. He was the grandfather to Nicole, Dana, Amber, Logan, Hannah, and Heather and great grandfather of 7.

One of the special things about our relationship with our parents is that they know us for our entire lives, but we only know them for about half of their lives.

Our dad followed his father Jay Sarver in building a family legacy of proud military service. He worked hard and was driven, especially when it came to his career. But when he occasionally faltered our mom was there to pick him up or kick him in the rear.

There were several memorable moments in our lives but when I was only 6 or 7 I remember seeing a shadow of a man returning from POW Boot Camp. He was cut up and bruised, and he had been starved. I remember my mother nursing him back to health.

It was during the Vietnam war that as a first-class petty officer our dad was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to advance from the enlisted ranks to become an officer in a first and only officer candidate program. Gordon was one of only 50 enlisted men in the entire US Navy to complete the program after graduating from the University of Georgia, “Go Dogs” and officer candidate school.

They say that behind every successful man is a strong, independent woman. That was certainly true of our mom and dad. She was instrumental in guiding dad through his school years and enduring a tumultuous family life.

After graduation he was assigned to the USS Niagara Falls where he supervised replenishment of naval ships and bases during the Vietnam War.

I have vivid memories of standing on the pier with my mother, Greg and I holding her hands while Glenn and Kevin were in the stroller waving goodbye to dad as he left for sea or returned from another voyage for the umpteenth time.

While dad was serving in the US Navy, our mom worked tirelessly to raise their four sons, all of whom continued the family’s proud military tradition by serving either in the Army during Desert Storm, the Navy during the Cold War on nuclear submarines, or working for the Department of Defense.

After Vietnam, our family was transferred to Mare Island Naval shipyard where dad served aboard the USS Shasta AE-33, a replenishment supply ship with continued service supporting ships at sea. In 1977, Gordon retired from the US Navy after 24 years and settled in Charleston, SC.

After his service in the Navy, dad worked for the Trident Technical College and Alumax Corporation before beginning a career in real estate investment.

Today there are no goodbyes, because dad will live on in our memories and in our hearts.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in their honor to the Alzheimer's Association.

A visitation will be held at Carolina Memorial Funeral Home, located at 7113 Rivers Ave. North Charleston, SC 29406 on Saturday, March 18, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.

A Celebration of Life at Carolina Memorial Funeral Home will be held Saturday, March 18, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM with the burial to follow at Carolina Memorial Gardens.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.carolinamemorial.com for the Sarver family.