Lawrence Allen Van Gorder

VAN GORDER
LAWRENCE ALLEN
Lawrence Allen Van Gorder entered this temporal world in Cleveland, Ohio on March 4, 1931 and returned home to be with his heavenly Father on August 18, 2004. An early vigorous life of outdoor adventure led him to Penn State University and a hopeful career in Forestry Management but along the way he found his true calling...as an officer in the United States Marine Corp. The young NROTC candidate found himself as a 2nd Lieutenant in Korea as the conflict wore down. Excelling in every discipline, he became the ideal officer...marksman, leader, warrior. As the armistice approached, his company found themselves surrounded by an overwhelming force of Chinese troops. With the company commander killed, the young lieutenant led his company in an all-night battle with the Chinese at Boulder City. During the battle, he risked his life to pull an enlisted man to safety and was mortally wounded. Only his status as an officer ensured his rescue on the field, his condition was considered beyond help. The first miracle of his life was that he recovered from these wounds and received both a Bronze Star for bravery and a Purple Heart. A true hero. Medically retired by the Marine Corp. due to his injuries, he turned his discipline and his acquired skills to business. He began his career with US Steel and moved from management trainee to senior positions in accounting with US Steel International and the steel group. He rode US Steel's rise and fall from glory, retiring early in 1988. An entire career with one company. He continued to consult with US Steel and turned his focus to building a consulting business with one of his sons. Again, he found success and a new focus for his energy and discipline...his new-found Christian faith and a business that embraced those principles. This was his second miracle. His commitment and effort through this consulting business helped his local church, North Way Christian Community of Pine Township, PA move to a new building and dramatically expand their outreach to become one of the most dynamic ministries in Western PA. He remained a faithful tither and giver to North Way's ministry throughout his life. He also helped expand the national outreach of numerous Christian ministries in his role with the consulting business. But mere visceral accomplishments don't begin to tell the story of his life and effect. The discipline and skills evolved in his Marine Corp career were refined and expanded in his business career and then perfected in his personal life. He touched innumerable friends, family and acquaintances. His legacy is found in the faith, values, character and love that he passed to everyone he knew. This was his third miracle. He was preceded in death by his father, Harold Franklin Van Gorder and his mother, Grace Elizabeth Abraham Van Gorder. He is survived by the love of his life, Nancy Travis Van Gorder, to whom he swore a life of selfless love and 50 years of marriage. She was the fulcrum upon which his life balanced and everyone who knew them could see his abandoned love for his wife and life partner. He is also survived by his son, David Robert Van Gorder and his wife, Cindy of Greensboro, NC and their children Allyson and Jordan. His son Thomas Edward Van Gorder and his wife Paula, of Great Falls, VA and their children Hayley, Grant and Hannah. His daughter, Marcie Lynn Leach and her husband, Paul, of Orleans, Massachusetts and their children Meghan, Zachary and Colton. He is also survived by his sister, Nancy Lynn Voegele and her husband, Philip of Hilton Head, SC. His brother Jan Richard Van Gorder and his wife, Patty, of Zionsville, Indiana. Three miracles characterized his life. And his life was the catalyst for more miracles than one could count. He was truly a man whose life counted and one who will be missed and loved immeasurably by many. Friends are invited to attend a memorial service at North Way Christian Community Church, Route 19, Pine Township Saturday, August 21, 2004 at 11:00 AM. Memorials may be made to either The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 3008, Princeton, NJ 08543 or The Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032.
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