SMITH, Gordon F., age 89

Died: Tuesday, November 4th, 2014

Committal Service with military honors will be held 12:30 p.m. on Monday, November 10, 2014 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, MN

Gordon F. Smith, age 89, passed away on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at Oakwood Villa in Altoona, Wisconsin.

He was born on June 26, 1925 to the late Forrest and Edith (Elliott) Smith in Mondovi, Wisconsin. Gordon went to school at Sheldon Valley and Mondovi High School. On September 29, 1945 he married Irene Thompson in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

At the age of 17, Gordon joined the Navy and was a proud Veteran of WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam Conflict. Gordon served in the Pacific arena during WWII on the Aircraft Carrier USS Natoma Bay. During Vietnam he served on the communications ship, USS Annapolis. For his service to our country during WWII, he was awarded the Philippine Unit Citation.

After honorably retiring from the military in 1969, he was an electrician, refrigeration repairman and repaired dehumidifiers. They spent their winters in Pharr and La Feria, Texas.

Gordon is survived by his wife of 69 years, Irene; sons, Dan (Trudy) and Douglas (Sue); daughters, Gail Severson and Debora Smith; 16 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; sisters, Evelyn Smith, Carol Passiatore, and Ruth Pace.

He was preceded in death by grandson, Neill Smith; brothers, Glen and Stanley; sisters, Ethel Warner and Marion Hasseltine.