William D. “Don” Gordon, 95, died on February 9, 2018 in Freeport, Illinois.

Don was born on July 21,1922, in Grover, Colorado, the son of John and Ethel Gordon.

He met Ann Schveninger in January 1950 in Shreveport, Louisiana. They were engaged in February 1950 and married at her home in September 1951. They lived in New Jersey, Colorado and Wyoming before settling in Glenview, Illinois where they lived for 53 years. They moved to Freeport in 2013. Don and Ann celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in September 2016, and Ann passed away in October of that year. He was a loyal and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Don grew up on a farm in northern Colorado, an experience that shaped his character in so many ways. He served in the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1946, and in the Air Force from 1950 to 1951. He worked for a variety of employers over the years, including the Department of Agriculture, Hankscraft, Arvey, and Glenbrook South High School. His family was the most important part of his life. He drove thousands of miles over the years, ensuring that his family stayed connected and had the opportunity to visit destinations all over the United States. He enjoyed camping, working with his hands, and he could fix anything that was broken. He took great pleasure in music. He played harmonica for many years in the Glenview Senior Center Chorus, and he loved to play the player piano that he spent countless hours restoring. He also enjoyed his role as family historian.

Don is survived by sister, Maxine Soppe (Rodney); his five children, Donald (Teresa Jones), Stephen (Terri Bright), Gary (Mary Pat Riggs), Greg (Nancy Iverson), and Jo Anne (Steve Mohan); sixteen grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by wife, Ann; his parents; brothers, Fred and Gene; sister, Irene; and grandson, Justin. He is with them again in God's presence. He lived his life by the maxim: “Our lives need shadows the clouds bring, for without the shadow, we would not have full appreciation of the sun.”

A funeral service will be conducted on Saturday, February 17, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. at the Lakeview Chapel at Schrader, Aragon and Jacoby Funeral Home. An interment service will follow in Carpenter Cemetery. A memorial service will be held later in Freeport, Illinois.