Gordon William Hesse, 93

Gordon William Hesse, 93, passed away Feb. 19, 2016, at Ivy Court in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He was born in December 1922 to George Henry and Hattie Jewell Hesse. He grew up on a fruit ranch on the Yakima River in Whitstran, near Prosser, Wash. Gordon was the seventh child of eight children and graduated from Prosser High School in 1941.

Gordon married Mary Evelyn Gwin in 1947, and lived near Midway. They had four children — Ramona, George, Franklin and Laurie — and were married until 1957. Gordon remained single thereafter.

Gordon worked as a welder, was a member of the Boilermakers Union, and later joined the Ironworkers Local. He was working at the Fast Flux Reactor at the Hanford Atomic Reservation near Tri-Cities, Wash., when he retired in 1986. He resided in Pasco since the 1970s. He moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2011 to be near his son, Frank, after his health began to decline.

Gordon was known to his siblings and friends as Bill or Gordy. He loved hunting and fishing, country music, playing pool and writing poetry. He had an extensive welding shop where he was always repairing or making things. He is survived by three of his children, Ramona Fultz, Franklin Hesse and Laurie Hesse; five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his siblings; his son, George and grandson Eric Valdez.

His funeral service was held Friday, Feb. 26, 2016, at Mountain View Cemetery in Auburn, Wash.