ROBERT NELSON VANGORDER,
73, formerly of Virgil, NY died Dec. 15, 2004 died of complications resulting from heart surgery at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage.
Mr. VanGorder was born in Preble, NY on March 12, 1931 a son of the late Richard and Cleo VanGorde. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1949, where he served until 1952.
He then went on to attend college at the State University of New York. In 1969, he moved to Wasilla, where he worked as a teacher, a self-employed contractor and a Realtor. He retired from Partner's Real Estate in Eagle River in 2001. Bob was an avid NASCAR fan and enjoyed fishing, traveling, reading and flying his private plane.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Joanne Benjamin VanGorder; sons, Dennis (Marie)VanGorder of Palmer and Randall VanGorder of Wasilla; daughters, Wendy (Roland) Jansson of Uppsala, Sweden, and Tamara (Tom) Maus of Graham, WA; grandsons, Neal (Jane) VanGorder of Palmer, Benjamin (Michelle) VanGorder of the U.S. Navy of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, Wash., and Brandon Maus of Graham, Wash.; step-grandsons, Carl and Curtis Slater of Palmer; granddaughters, Angelique (Bryan) Haney of Sisters, OR, Amy, Jamie and Rosie Maus of Graham, WA, Lisa and Michelle Jansson of Uppsala, Sweden and Kristian VanGorder of Palmer; great-grandchildren, Joseph and Katlyn VanGorder of Oak Harbor, WA, Kaitlyn Maus of Graham, WA. and Kristopher VanGorder of Palmer; siblings, Tom(Audrey) VanGorder of Hendersonville, NC, Dorla (Carl) Elliott of Marathon, NY, David (Marilyn) VanGorder of Seneca, SC , Rebecca (Russell) VanGorder of Locke, NY, Eileen (Thomas) Granato of Cortland and Judith Garrow of Groton; sisters-in-law, Emily VanGorder, Anita VanGorder and Marian VanGorder and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is also survived by a special "Alaska" nephew, Jim VanGorder, his wife, Susan, and their three children, of Palmer. He was preceded in death by his three brothers, Richard VanGorder Jr., Phillip VanGorder and Darrell VanGorder and two sisters, Janet Hahn. His sister, Thelma Elliott, died Dec. 17, 2004.
Funeral services will be at 2 PM Tuesday, December 28, 2004 at the Perkins Funeral Home with Rev. David H. Nicholls of the United Methodist Church of Dryden officiating. Burial, in Virgil Rural Cemetery, will be delayed until spring. Friends are invited to call from 1 to 2 PM Tuesday at the funeral home, 55 West Main St., Dryden.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to a charity of one’s own choice.
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