Gordon Mirrell Schweitzer

1928 - 2018

Mr. Gordon Mirrell Schweitzer

Silverdale, WA

Sep. 17, 1928 to Aug. 1, 2018

Mr. Gordon Mirrell Schweitzer, 89, passed away on August 1 at CRISTA Senior Living, surrounded by his loving family.

Gordon was born September 17, 1928 in Artesia, California, to Cora Henderson and Frederick Vernon Schweitzer. His mother was remarried to Fred De Vries in 1931 and the new family moved to a small company house in the oil fields of Coalinga, California. As a teenager, Gordon was on the football team, ran track, rehearsed lines with drama club, played trombone in band, and was co-editor of his senior yearbook.

Outside of school he set type for the Coalinga Record newspaper and spent summers loading butane into tanker trucks, all while earning his pilot's license. Most importantly, he served as a leader of the Coalinga Presbyterian Youth Group. The group was led by Dr. Richard Halverson (later US Senate Chaplain), who encouraged Gordon to pursue a life of service as a pastor. After he graduated from Coalinga Union High School in June 1946, Gordon went on to earn a B.A. in psychology from Whitworth College in 1950 and a Bachelors of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1953.

On June 23, 1951, he married his high school sweetheart, Thea Kreyenhagen, who had grown up on a ranch just outside of town and was one year ahead of him at Coalinga Union High School.

Gordon was commissioned as a chaplain in the U.S. Army on November 28, 1953. In his 30 years of service, he was stationed in Korea, Turkey, Germany, Vietnam, and at bases across the United States. Gordon successfully completed a jump course and graduated from Airborne School , then later became a jumpmaster himself. He was twice awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal four times, and the Army Commendation Medal two times.

After he retired with the rank of Colonel in December 1983, Gordon served as the associate pastor at Red Bank Presbyterian Church near the Jersey Shore from 1984 to 1986 and as an associate pastor at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Reno, Nevada, from 1986 until 1996, when he retired permanently to beautiful Poulsbo, Washington.

Surviving Gordon is his wife, Thea; his three sons, Bruce, Neil, and Glenn; their families, including nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and his sister, Loween.

Gordon will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.