Gordon Moulton-Barrett

1922 - 2021

Gordon Edward Moulton-Barrett
May 6, 1922- Jan 25, 2021
GORDON EDWARD MOULTON-BARRETT of Hobe Sound, Florida , age 98, passed away peacefully in the early hours of January 25th 2021 at Hay-Madeira House Hospice in Stuart Florida, following a recent hospitalization.
Gordon was born May 6 1922 in Southampton, England and was educated at Chard and Imperial Services College in Windsor, now part of Hailerbury School in Hertfordshire, England.
As a boy he crossed the Solent by paddle steamer to pay visits to bis cousin Col Morris E Moulton-Barrett at "Westover", Calbourne. It was a magnificent estate with woods, gardens, Peacocks but no electricity. It was said that Queen Victoria admired the view from the bridge over which the lake flows to a stream along Winkle Street. It was sometimes eerie at night, going to bed by candlelight while the Peacocks screeched in the trees. Within the drawing room of the house hung originally Sir Thomas Lawrence "Pinkie" (Sarah Goodin Moulton) but it was eventually sold, and a copy was made to hang in the same place.
Gordon's Great Grand Aunt, Elizabeth Barrett Browning would have enjoyed a visit to her youngest brother Octavius Butler Barrett Moulton-Barrett at "Westover "on her island travels meeting Tennyson and other literary figures but the times did not coincide.
In WWll Gordon flew as a Flight Lieutenant piloting "Lancasters" with the RAF for 207 Sqd, 5 Group and made 17 sorties, seven of which were to Berlin where he eventually was shot down after two attacks by a JU88, on a Christmas eve, to become a prisoner of war for two and one half years. When peace came, he joined RAF Transport Command flying Avro Yorks on the Singapore route.
Turning to civil aviation he flew amphibians in the Bahama Islands and then returning to the United Kingdom to become a test and demonstration pilot for Short Brothen and Harland. This took him to Europe, Canary Islands, S American and Canadian territories. 1950 he took part in the Farnborough Air Show piloting the Short "Sealand" in the flying circus display of aircraft. Short also wanted him to fly the Daily Express race a low level coastal path from Bournemouth to Heme Bay. As an amphibian aircraft it was able to land on the water by the end of the race but the "Sealand" did not come in first.
The low income imposed by the Labour Government encouraged him to look elsewhere and In Canada he became a structural test engineer for "Canadair" but bis love of flying found himself as a bush pilot in Quebec in the end.
Moving to the United States he was now involved in flying monkeys from India to New York for the polio Salk vaccine. During the Korean conflict be flew military supplies from the United States across the Pacific. Many small airlines that popped up like mushrooms for military transport which ultimately led to the collapse of work when the contract ended.
In Cairo, Gordon was in control of a subsidiary airline with three DC6's contracted to United Arab Airlines. This operation involved flying a daily biblical route crossing the Red Sea, the Sinai Desert and passing Mt Sinai on the left to Elat. Turning Northerly along the Israel border "Petra" could be seen before descending over the Dead Sea to land at Jerusalem airport.
With the Vietnam war starting he flew both "Constellations" and "DC8's" for Capital Airways taking troops and supplies to Bien Ho, Danang and Cameron Bay.
Later, Gordon joined Japan Airlines, as a Captain he flew from Tokyo to Hawaii, San Francisco, Los Angeles and also on the Polar route to many European cities from Anchorage, Alaska.
Although the airline industry at the time as a form of living tended to be unstable, nevertheless traveling in different countries, offered a rich background of other cultures.
The experience of being a POW provided a source of self - reliance and understanding of oneself. It also motivated with limited food an interest in culinary skills accented later by cuisine of other lands in travel.
An admirer of expressionist art he painted in his early twenties. In sports he was active in X-country skiing, running and later bicycling. Perhaps one of the greatest joys was sailing his 32 1/2 foot Irwin Sloop named "Arabella"
Married to a physician who became a psychiatrist, he found interest reading psychology and medicine manuals that played an important role in his life.
There would be two children from this marriage, a daughter, Ariele, an artist who would not complete a full life, and a son, Rex, dedicated to medicine.
Gordon is survived by his son Rex, his previous wife Dr. Maria Moulton-Barrett, his grand-daughter Zoe Elizabeth Moulton-Barrett and cousins once removed: Anthony Moulton-Barrett and Elaine Hickman. Gordon had many friends throughout his life including most recently his neighbors in Hobe Sound who remember him as a kind person, of a strong and decisive character, who enjoyed even the smallest details in culinary cuisine and any opportunity to cherish and celebrate life in group gatherings. The last day of Gordon's life was spent calmly with his dog Pixie at his side, with his very close caregivers Katerin Bribino and Halina Glowacka and with the caring staff at Hay-Madeira House.

Piedmont Funeral Services in conjunction with Reverend Bruce O'Neill from St Clément's Episcopal Church, will provide an open air service at Mountain View Cemetery, plot 13 Lot 174, 5000 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611 on Saturday January 30th, at 1pm.