Gordon B. Stringham
October 21, 1921 - December 23, 2010
Obituary
Gordon Burnerd Stringham
Born on a kitchen table at the family home in Kewa, Washington October 21, 1921, Gordon was the ‘caboose’, youngest of the six children of Arthur L Stringham, age 51 on that day, and Nina Eddings Stringham. He grew up in eastern Washington along the Columbia River when it was still wild. A child of the Great Depression, he graduated in 1939 as Class Valedictorian of Columbia High School in Hunters, Washington. He returned with his classmates to several Pioneer reunions, for the last time in 2008 for his 69th class reunion. Approached by Washington State College after graduating from Columbia High he was offered a scholarship in return for his own knowledge of the historic native populations, camps, etc. along the Columbia before it was flooded by rising waters of Lake Roosevelt as the river backed behind Grand Coulee Dam. He had to turn it down as he was the only one still at home to help his aging father with the family farm.
When asked by his daughter a few years back to show where he was born we drove to Kewa. As we turned a corner on the highway, Gordie told us that when he was a child this was the spot where he saw his first aircraft, a bi-plane ready to drop mail in that field. His memory was clear, that vision repeated again; as a youth he saw airplanes as his future. After graduation he left for California for training with Lockheed to get his A & E later known as A & P license. Before the war he worked at Boeing Aircraft Company Seattle Plant II on B-17 production. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1943 and trained on B-29 aircraft systems before his honorable discharge in 1945. An expert aircraft mechanic, he worked for Alaska Airlines before joining Pacific Northern Airlines PNA. He trained to be a Flight Engineer on Lockheed Constellations and Boeing 720s. In 1967 new opportunities opened for Gordon when PNA was purchased by Western Airlines. He also flew as first officer while training for command on Western 737-200s. He was a Flight Engineer on DC-10s flying from California to Hawaii when in 1981 he retired from Western at age 60. Of course he said he was not retired, just unemployed because of FAA age restrictions grounding air crews at 60!
While a new Boeing employee during the war, he met and dated Florence Mary Eberharter, she was living with her parents on Beacon Hill. They were married at St Peters Catholic Church July 10, 1943. Their daughter Dona was born while he was serving in the Army away from home. After the war they lived with Florence’s family when daughter Lynn arrived. The young family moved to South Everett in 1948; a few years later he built a small log cabin playhouse for his two girls next to their home. In 1954 the family moved to the hill north of Des Moines to be closer to his work for PNA flying between Seattle and Alaska. The log cabin playhouse was moved to the east of their new brick home; the girls paid $100 from their own savings for the cabin’s move. Gordie used his time off on several projects at home. He wore out three shovels digging the hole for a swimming pool. He built a 16 foot cabin cruiser to pursue his passion for salt water fishing. He enjoyed travelling to Alaska to hunt for moose, packing it out by quarters on his homemade packframe. Florence joined him for steelhead fishing on the great rivers of the North. An enthusiastic gardener, he cultivated flowers and vegetables on his lot. When an earthquake broke the pool’s water feed line under the patio he had the pool filled in using that space to grow corn.
As retirement approached, he purchased acreage near his sister’s place in Hobart where he logged trees, sold firewood, cleared land with his D-8 Cat and built an A-frame cabin; he liked to stay busy always saying, ‘he wanted to wear out, not rust out.’ The Stringham family travelled a lot, both by air and car. He and Florence travelled the US by motorhome as her final battle with Alzheimer’s encroached on their lives together. Florence passed away July 24, 1997. He was devoted to her in her final years, caring for her at home, and then bringing her meals daily in the nursing home. He said that his marriage vows meant more to him now than ever.
Gordon met a wonderful widow in his church who had cared for her husband during a prolonged illness. They had each been married to their first spouses over 50 years and had a lot in common. He married Rey Hagen April 21, 1998. This brought into the family a new collection of grand and great-grand children. They lived and loved happily together in Des Moines and then at Day Star in West Seattle until her April 18, 2004 death. He said he dated two women, married and buried them both.
When Gordie re-roofed his house with hand-split cedar shakes, he also reroofed the playhouse. When he decided to sell his home in Des Moines, his daughter’s families joined together to take apart and then move Gordon’s hand built log playhouse back to Everett. In 2003 it was lovingly reassembled at his granddaughter’s house for the enjoyment of a new generation, the great grandchildren.
A devout Christian, he lived his faith. While a member of Soundview Baptist Church, he travelled to Israel in 1992 with his friend and pastor Mel Hinz as guide, a stirring event in his life. His second trip to Israel in 2006 was also with Mel. He was active in Optimist International serving as District Governor; he took pride in founding the Auburn Optimist Club and a chapter in Fairbanks Alaska in support of the youth organization. He organized the team to put on the 1990 National Optimist Convention in Seattle. He was elected and served for five years as a Fire Commissioner for King County Fire District Number 11, now known as North Highline Fire District. He was active in Big Brothers of King County for many years. He supported many other charities including Children’s Hospital which he remembered fondly for saving his daughter Dona’s life. Since 1991 he was an active and proud member of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
After his second wife’s death, he decided to move into a second floor walk-up apartment in Burien. He loved its central location where he could walk to many activities for daily exercise, beginning and ending with that flight of stairs. Most days he proudly covered about four miles. He moved into El Dorado West, a retirement and assisted living facility, then into Good Shepherd Adult Family Home as his health rapidly deteriorated. The loving staff provided him with great care and good food; he loved to eat! He gradually slipped away from us into that long sleep finally joining the Lord December 23, 2010 where he will spend Christmas with the angels.
Since we moved to California, we have lost track of Gordie and most of the PNA folks. He was a great member of our flight crews and will be fondly remembered.
to our friend Gordon We knew something was not right when we did not receive your newsy letter this Christmas. Gordon was a true friend and we enjoyed his bright mind and energy through out all our association with the oPTIMIST WORLD. Last year we had the pleasure of visiting the Club that Gordon built in Alaska. We were warmly received and the Club is still going strong. Our deep condolences to the family we know how proud Gordon was of his girls. With deep affection Bob and Shirley Estergaard