Gordon Dwight Brown

Gordon Dwight Brown, 83, passed away December 17, 2020. He was born June 19, 1937 in Rutland, Ohio, a small village in Meigs County, to Dwight and Blanche Brown. In 1941 his family relocated to St Albans, West Virginia, where Dwight found work with Union Carbide.Gordon graduated from St. Albans High School in 1955. After a year at West Virginia University, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. His overseas deployment was at the RAF Station at Lakenheath, England, where he was an air traffic controller for over three years. In late 1960 he was hired by the FAA at Cleveland Air Traffic Control Center in Oberlin.During his 31-year plus career, he received many commendations. One mentions Gordon’s using obsolete slide rule skills to guide planes through the center’s area when the computers had shut down. He was not one to boast about his skills.He married his wife, Barbara, in 1963. They had been married nearly 58 years. In addition, he also leaves behind his daughter, Wendy (Alan) Golski of Amherst; son, Erik (Christina) Brown of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; granddaughter, Mallory Golski of Columbus; grandson, Bradley Golski of Amherst; and granddaughter, Natalie Brown and grandson, Evan Brown of Highlands Ranch.He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Mary Jones.Gordon was always willing and eager to acquire new skills and interests, including skiing, golfing, sailing, kayaking, and wine-making. He was particularly adept at photography and carpentry. His family and friends knew that he could be relied upon to fix anything at a moment’s notice. His children’s friends will remember how he built a toy car for them to drive from an old lawn mower.Gordon was fascinated by airplanes and cars. His first car was a 1934 Austin 7, which he purchased in England from a friend rotating back to the US. He was often recognized driving though town in the dune buggy he built. One of his prized possessions is a 1978 Triumph Spitfire. He was always partial to Volkswagens and owned many over the years.After he retired in 1991, he enrolled in general studies at LCCC, where he chose widely varied courses he found interesting. He trained as an emergency medical technician, working at LifeCare until he took over babysitting his oldest grandchild.As a member of Heritage Presbyterian Church in Amherst, he served as an elder, helped with its food pantry, and used his fix-it abilities in church maintenance projects.In 2006 he received an Amherst City Enhancement Award in recognition of his over 30 years as leader of the Amherst Park Commission. He also served on the city zoning commission.He was a Playhouse Square Red Coat volunteer, providing wheelchair service over a 23-year period.Gordon and Barbara enjoyed spending time at their Atwood Lake cottage. They also traveled extensively to all 50 states and to numerous international destinations. They especially liked winter trips with special long-time friends to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they walked the beaches, traveled on local buses, and ate area cuisine. They also took many day and multi-day excursions with Footprint Tours.In recent years Gordon was lovingly cared for by his wife, daughter, Wendy, son-in-law, Alan, and two oldest grandchildren, Mallory and Brad. His son, Erik, kept in frequent contact and advised from his home in Colorado. Dear friends and fellow church members were very helpful. The family is grateful for the supportive staff at Arden Courts, Westlake.Memorial contributions may be made to Heritage Presbyterian Church food pantry, to New Life Hospice, Lorain, or a charity of choice. Services will be held at a later date.Please visit the funeral home's website to share a memory and sign the guest register, www.hempelfuneralhome.com.