Gordon S. DALTON

DALTON, Gordon S.

Gordon Stark Dalton, 92, of East Hampton, beloved husband of Jann M. Dalton, went peacefully to be with the Lord on Thursday, (May 30, 2013) at Middlesex Hospital. Gordon was born on July 8, 1920, to Charles Gerald and Ethel Stark Dalton in Northampton, MA. While growing up, he developed a love of farming, fishing, nature, and telling stories. He learned how to fix watches and make clocks, completely of wood. He became a lifeguard at Look Park and swam competitively in high school, graduating Northampton High in 1939. He attended Rhode Island School of Design, originally in jewelry design, until WWII started. He enlisted in the Army and served in North Africa, Italy, and France. After the war, he completed his degree at RISD in industrial design and was employed at National Steel, Ethan Allen Corporation and other companies using his engineering skills. Gordon's artistic spirit, youthful essence and sense of humor captivated all who encountered him. He possessed profound wisdom with eyes that saw beyond the obvious - deep into the heart of our very existence. He was a communicant at St. Patrick Church, which he joined in 2009 at the age of 88 and enjoyed singing fully at Mass. Genuine friendship is very rare, very precious, very blessed and we give thanks for the joy of knowing him. Survivors include his son Lee, wife Carrie and grandchildren Nicolas Dalton, Katie Arrington, her husband Luke and great-granddaughter Caroline all of Boulder, CO; grandsons John Roper of Sammamish, WA and his wife Zandra; Ward Roper of London, England, his wife Hoi-Yee and their children Zen and Theodore; and granddaughter Pheydra Schworm of Austin, TX. He was predeceased by sisters Geraldine Fieg and Carol Thornton and his daughter Ann Dalton Mello. As faithful best friend, companion and husband to his adoring wife, Jann, Gordon became surrogate father, grandfather and uncle to her large family and will be deeply missed by all. He memorialized their wonderful life full of travel and the richness of family gatherings with 35 yrs of photos. He had many passions, including marine biology, the Civil War, motorcycles, and flying airplanes and enthralled all who met him with his war stories. At the time of his passing, he was writing his WWII memoirs and leaves the final edit to his son Lee and nephew Jake Whitney.
A Mass of Resurrection will be held on Friday, June 7 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Church, 47 West High St., East Hampton, CT. There are no calling hours. The family would like to thank his many caregivers, especially those at Hartford Hospital Cardiology and the Drs. and staff at Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center and Hospice Unit. In lieu of flowers, memorials donations in his name may be made to: Weiss Hospice and Palliative Care Unit, Middlesex Hospital, Crescent St., Middletown, CT. or St. Patrick Church, 47 High St., East Hampton, CT 06424. To leave online condolences please visit www.spencerfuneralhomeinc.com.