It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved brother-in-law and uncle, Colonel Gordon L. Edgett (Ret.) of Tucson, Arizona. He died suddenly on Aug. 22, 2015.
Gordon was born in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1920. His parents were Austin and Jennie (Cunningham) Edgett.
He was raised mainly in Fort Frances, Ont., attended Fort Frances High School, Yale University, and graduated Magna Cum Laude (with great distinction) from the University of Arizona. Gordon also received two honour societies: Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa.
Gordon is well-respected for his military career honourably serving his country of U.S.A. in the European Theatre during World War II in a P-47 fighter-bomber. He was a member of the distinguished 365th Bomber Group also known as the “Hell Hawks.”
He waded into shore on Utah Beach during D-Day, gave support to General Patton’s Third Army in France, and was in Belgium during the “Battle of the Bulge.”
During the war, he was stationed in England, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany.
During his USAF career, he had been awarded numerous awards including the Bronze Star and two Commendation Medals.
His post-WWII service included assignments in the Philippines, Japan, and in Germany and France during the Allied Occupation of those countries.
He participated in the Berlin airlift during the Russian Blockade of Berlin in 1948 and 1949.
His post-WWII service included a number of U.S.A.F. bases in the United States.
In 1958, he was chosen for the U.S.A.F. Missile Program.
Even though he was well-travelled during his military career, he was passionate about travelling even until the last few months of his life.
He travelled throughout Europe, Australia, South America, the United States and Canada, but he had a special love for Alaska, as he would always try to sneak in a trip whenever he was down to see his “Canadian relatives.”
He would often take his nieces on excursions when visiting in the summer in his “Impala” and was the orchestrator of many other family trips. He always had a detailed itinerary, rose early, and packed lightly.
In April of 2014, when returning to Europe on a tour of the Invasion Beaches and WWII war memorials, he received a hero’s welcome when they found out he was a WWII veteran and member of the 365th, as he and his squadron had helped liberate this town and others.
They showered him with flowers, hugged him, posed with him for pictures and asked him to lay crosses on graves of fallen soldiers and on Utah Beach of which he had waded in some 70 years earlier.
Although Uncle Gordon was not comfortable with all the attention, it was one of the most memorable trips of his life.
Uncle’s last travel adventure was attending his great-nephew’s wedding in Ottawa at the age of 95. This time he was a passenger with the Edgett crew. His presence was a blessing and our week visiting and travelling with him will never be forgotten; not knowing it was our last visit.
Although Gordon had no children of his own, he was a caretaker to all. He cared for his family members, making many trips to Vancouver, Fort Frances and to various places in the United States.
He was a rock to the Edgett clan and a father figure, especially after the loss of his youngest brother, Raymond.
Times with Uncle were always special. He often brought pictures and newspaper clipping of his travels, and would get caught up on all the family news.
Gordon rarely missed sending a card for a niece, great nephews and nieces, or more recently his great-great niece and nephew.
He was generous, thoughtful, quick as a whip, and lived his life simply and most importantly, on his own accord.
Gordon never wanted us to “make a fuss” over him, but we would have given anything to do a fraction for him, as he had done for all of us.
Gordon was predeceased by his beloved wife of 49 years, Carolyn (Crockett) Edgett, in 1997.
He was also predeceased by his beloved parents, Jennie (Cunningham) and Austin (Edward) Edgett; dear sister, Mary M. Edgett; and brothers, Alvin T. and Raymond J. Edgett.
Gordon is survived by his sister-in-law, Antonia Edgett; nieces, Kayleen Cross (Mike), Donna Rae Paterson (Russell), and Rae-Ann Wood (Todd); great-nephews Jeff McFayden (Heather), Brandon Paterson, Aaron, Christopher and Nickolas Wood; and great-nieces Tessa Egan (Shaun), and Megan Cross.
Also surviving is one sister-in-law, Sonja Crockett, of New Mexico, niece and nephew, David and Cathy Crockett of Tucson, Arizona, and their families.
I leave no trace of wings in the air,
but I am glad I have had my flight.
—Rabindranath Tagore
