Gordon G. Rennie

1927 - 2014

Gordon Grant Rennie died July 6, 2014 at the age of 87. He was born New Year's Day 1927 to Ray Rennie and Marjorie Phetteplace Rennie at Pacific Christian Hospital, the precursor to Sacred Heart, in Eugene Oregon.

Gordon lived almost his entire life in Thurston, Oregon. The Rennie and Phetteplace families were early settlers to the Thurston and McKenzie River areas. Gordon grew up working on the family dairy farm in Thurston ("Rennie's Dairy"), and he went to the two-room Thurston grade school and the first Thurston high school. Thurston and Springfield high schools merged Gordon's senior year, making him technically a graduate of Springfield high school.

Immediately after graduation Gordon joined the US Navy, attended radio school and served as a radio operator in the South Pacific during the last two years of World War II. After the war Gordon returned to Springfield and enrolled at the University of Oregon, where he joined the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. He finished two years of school and then was called back by the Navy to once again serve as a radio operator, this time during the Korean conflict. At the end of that conflict Gordon was discharged and he re-enrolled at the U of 0 in the speech and radio department to complete his degree.

During his second stint at the University, Gordon met Sandra Price, his future wife. They were an "item" during their junior and senior years and after graduation they were married on August 14, 1954 in Boise, Idaho.

Gordon and Sandra settled in the Thurston area and soon moved into the home that had been built by his father where they stayed for fifty-eight years. Although Gordon had to graduate from Springfield High because of the merger of the two local high schools, he lived out his life in a home where the upstairs flooring had been salvaged from the first Thurston High School gymnasium. Everyone's closets had foul shot lines and out of bounds stripes. Gordon went to work for KUGN, writing commercials, selling advertising time, and doing numerous "voice overs". For several years on opening day of fishing season Gordon was the gurgly, underwater voice of "Robert Trout" announcing that it was time to go fishing.

From KUGN Gordon went on to work for the Eugene Chamber of Commerce and then as Advertising Manager at Pape Cat. Gordon then stepped into the emerging field of public relations for Sacred Heart Hospital. As he created hospital public relations he started an in-house publication, had numerous articles about Sacred Heart featured in national hospital periodicals as well as regional publications and newspapers. He also expressed his other artistic side by hand calligraphing the diplomas of all the graduates of the Sacred Heart nursing school.

When he retired from Sacred Heart hospital Gordon followed his artistic talent and claimed a long time avocation as his new vocation--becoming a full time antique clock restorer, both of the inner works and outer woodworks at the "Clock Maker's Shop" in Eugene. Gordon's long time love of collecting, refurbishing and rebuilding all forms of antique clocks kept the family home always ticking, even if never really "on time."

Clock restoration had been Gordon's "night job" for decades, even as he worked his "day job" at Sacred Heart hospital. Now he could enjoy working with tools and wood and gears and veneers all day, every day.

Gordon's wood working skills were not limited to rebuilding timepieces. He also built a beautiful "glider" hobby horse for his grandson, and gorgeous Norwegian style hope chests for his daughter and granddaughter. The study and appreciation of his Norwegian heritage led Gordon not only to take up learning the Norwegian language, but led him to teach himself the craft of creating "tinas," traditional Norwegian boxes, oval in shape, highly carved and decorated, inlaid with wooden lacings and even peacock feathers. Not only were family members but also many family friends were graced with Gordon's beautiful "tina" box creations. This appreciation of all things Norwegian was fulfilled when Gordon and Sandra went on a trip to Norway, traveling by mail boat up the length of the coast, from the sunny fjords to the frozen north, stopping at tiny local villages all along the way.

Gordon was not necessarily a "joiner," but he did enjoy his association with the National Association of Watch and clock Collectors (the NAWCC) and later in life the Springfield Senior Forum. At one meeting of the Senior Forum Gordon shared his photos of himself, a Thurston country boy, sitting amidst the rubble of the nuclear bomb destruction of Nagasaki.

Gordon is survived by his wife, Sandra, and by his daughter, Karen Rennie and son-in-law, The Rev. Dr. Leonard Sweet of Orcas Island, Washington; his son, Dr. William Rennie, and was pre-deceased by his daughter-in-law, Debra Rennie of Patchogue, N.Y. Gordon is also survived by a wonderful gaggle of grandchildren: Thane, Soren and Egil, Vaughn and Emma, Nick, Tina, Alex, Nika and husband, Peter and great-granddaughter Hailey. Gordon is also survived by his brother, William Rennie; his sister-in-law, Suzanne; and his nieces and nephews: John, Greg, Mollie, Cara, and Stephen and their families. Of course Gordon is also survived by a community of life-long friends with whom he shared his life and upon whose couches and porches he took his naps.

At Gordon's request there is no formal service. The family offers a special "Thank You" to Elder Health and Living in Springfield for all of their kind attentiveness and helpfulness during Gordon's last days. If you would like to make a donation in remembrance of Gordon Rennie please choose any charity or organization that is dear to your heart.