Gordon Howe

Gordon Howe was a hardworking, fun-loving man, who found such great enjoyment in everything he did. He was a loyal son, brother, and friend to so many over the years. Most of all, Gordie was a man who lived and loved life on his own terms, and taught us to do the same. Gordie's story began on a chilly Halloween day in 1935, in the lakefront town of Muskegon, Michigan. Those were difficult days for so many in this country, as our nation struggled to pull itself from the quagmire of the Great Depression. Nearly a quarter of Americans were unemployed, and times were so hard for so many. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had unveiled more of his New Deal, including the birth of Social Security, bringing new hope to a nation sorely in need of some. On Halloween day that year, the Howe family found a little bundle of hope of their own, with the birth of a baby boy, a son they named Gordon. Gordie joined his siblings Raymond, Herbert and Henrietta in the Howe home, which was located in Muskegon until he was a toddler. When Gordie was just 3 years old, the family packed up and left Muskegon, moving to Coldwater, Michigan, where he was raised. Gordie grew up like so many boys, enjoying playing sports and hanging out with his friends. He also developed a strong work ethic from an early age, and when he was 16 he began working for the Greyhound bus station in Coldwater. When Gordie was 21 years old, he left Coldwater, setting out on his own, to make it under his own steam. He took a variety of jobs, including a stint at Bud's Lumber for a year, and Fisher Steel & Supply for two years, before settling into a job at Great Lakes Plating in Ludington, Michigan. Gordie worked as a zinc plater there, staying 13 years, before semi-retiring in 1979. Gordie was far from all work and no play, however. He had a passion for playing pool, and was quite good, as well. He also loved auto racing, and would often volunteer to help his friend at the track, working in the pits with him. Gordie was passionate about all sorts of sports, and his TV was glued to whatever events were on every day. Baseball, football, hockey, volleyball, auto racing ... Gordie watched it all fervently. Sadly, Gordie died Thursday, November 16, 2006. He was a hardworking, fun-loving man, a loyal brother and a good friend to so many. Most of all, Gordie was a man who lived his life as his own person, and on his own terms, and taught us to do the same. He will be greatly missed.