Gordon Ray Gathright

Funeral Services for Gordon Gathright will be held Wednesday September 21, 2022 at 10:00 A.M., at the Primitive Baptist Church, officiated by Norman Jones and Phil Jones. Burial will be at South Burns Cemetery and under the direction of Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.

Gordon Ray Gathright was born on his mom's birthday in Sentinel, Oklahoma, to Wilma and David on April 14th, 1954. The youngest of four children, he was full of energy and frequently underfoot. He grew up surrounded by family, with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all living within a few miles. He did well academically, attending Dill City schools until the family moved to Fort Supply in 1970.

After graduation he followed his dad’s footsteps, joining the navy in 1972 where he supported long range patrols engaging in anti-submarine warfare during the Vietnam War. He completed his tour in 1976 and returned to Fort Supply, Oklahoma. He and Valorie met shortly after his return through mutual friends. Six months and three proposals later (yes three, although she said yes, all three times), they were married on April 2, 1977.

He entered OSU in the fall of ’79, where he was able to finish both his B.A. and ultimately his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1985. Nolan joined the family later that year and Gordon started a veterinary practice in Burkburnett, TX. Looking for a more secure way to support his growing family, Gordon joined the army in late 1986 and Russell, Katie, and Kelley came along in the next few years and across a few different states.

In 1995, he returned to school to pursue a Master of Public Health from OU and was able to be closer to his family roots in Oklahoma before working abroad in Germany for several years. After making lots of new friends, the family moved to TX where he finished his army career in 2003 at the rank of Major. He became the attending Veterinarian for the National Wildlife Research Center in Colorado until 2016 when he switched to part time consulting and training work. He gained two extra children when Russell found Erin in 2013, and Katie married Brent in 2020.

Gordon was honest, and loyal, and cared deeply for his family and friends. He spent his free time playing his many instruments, fixing cars, or engineering a solution to whatever problem he could find. He loved camping, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, and generally spending time out in nature. He and Val were quite the travelers, going on trips around Central America and Europe.

Gordon passed away on September 14, 2022. He will be deeply missed by many including his wife, Valorie; his mother, Wilma; his siblings, Sue and Dave, Anita and Clay, and Flo; and his 'babies', Nolan, Russell and Erin, Katie and Brent, and Kelley.