Gordon Gale Gipson

Gordon Gale Gipson was born August 28, 1945 in Forest Grove, Oregon. He is the third child of Rodney and Daphne LaMore Gipson. He grew up in McMinnville, Oregon. In the spring of his junior year in high school the family moved to Provo, Utah and he graduated from Provo High School. He attended Brigham Young University where he received his BS in elementary education and a MED in educational psychology which was mainly library science classes in 1972. He received his administrative certificate from Portland State University.

Singing played a big part in Gordon’s life. At Provo High School he played the part of Balthazer in “Amahl and the Night Visitors”. At BYU he was in the Oratorio Choir. He was a member of the Seattle Temple and Portland Temple dedication choirs. Throughout his life he sang in ward and stake church choirs.

Gordon married Kathryn Pancoast Acree on May 10, 1969, in the Manti Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. Children born to this union are: Bradley Gordon Gipson (Anna-Cajsa) of Columbia, South Carolina; David Paul Gipson (Jacqueline) of Vancouver , Washington; and Ellen Marcella Evans (Brian). There are nine grandchildren.

After college graduation, they moved to Milwaukie, Oregon, where Gordon was employed by the North Clackamas School District #12. He was at Campbell Elementary School for 21 years where he loved reading stories to children. He put computers and television in the library. His last eight years of work were at Clackamas High School. He retired in January 2001.

In June , 1981, Gordon was called to be a Scoutmaster. He asked to be the Columbia Pacific Council Scoutmaster for the Boy Scout National Jamboree at Ft. A.P. Hill, Virginia in 1985. He served in many other positions with BSA and received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver.

Gordon served an LDS mission in Texas 1964-1966. He and Kathryn served in the Washington, DC Mission in the office September, 2009 – February, 2011. Throughout the years he served in many church leadership positions as Elder’s Quorum President,  Bishop’s Counselor, Stake High Council, and 1st Counselor in the Milwaukie Oregon Stake under President O. David Knight for nine years. He was always dependable.

Gordon loved to travel and he and Kathryn were able to see France, England, Scotland, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Thailand, Cambodia and some Caribbean Islands. He was a collector, especially stamps, coins and Boy Scout items.

Gordon passed away as the result of Parkinson’s Disease on December 6, 2019 in Provo, Utah. A memorial service will be held for him on January 18, 2020, in Milwaukie, Oregon.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gordon Gale Gipson, please visit our floral store.