Gordon E. Boone

Gordon E. Boone
Died April 15, 2025
ELMWOOD TOWNSHIP – Gordon Earl Boone, 88, of Elmwood Township, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Gordon was born on May 10, 1936, in the stone house of his family's farm-now Shady Lane Cellars-the eldest child of Jacob and Beatrice (Schrader) Boone. As a child growing up living in a stone house, he learned how to scale/climb the rock around the entire house without touching the ground, being the envy of his cousins.
On February 11, 1956, in the priest's rectory of St. Michael's Church in Suttons Bay, he married the love of his life, Cleo May Priest, and began their cherished example of love, honor, and commitment in a marriage.
Gordie lived a life marked by hard work, quiet generosity, steadfast devotion, and a deep love and concern for both people and animals. A natural problem solver, he was a self-taught mechanic with an engineer's mind who could build, fix, or figure out just about anything. He took pride in passing down those skills to his children, teaching them how to work on their cars, motorcycles and solve everyday challenges with self-sufficiency. He was a firm believer in keeping everything greased and loved talking mechanics. There were many neighborhood kids and relatives that Gordie generously lent a hand to fix their motorcycles or cars throughout the years. A Harley owner himself, his bike is now owned by his grandson-in-law, who proudly named it "The Gordster".
Gordie worked as a truck driver most of his life. Boone & Boone, Hahnenberg Moving and Storage, The Concrete Service, and Morrison's where he retired. He spent a lot of time away on the road throughout his career, making many sacrifices to provide for his family.
He found satisfaction in the simple, honest labor of cutting and stacking wood to heat his home. He had a buzz saw that was definitely not OSHA approved, but thankfully never lost a limb throughout the process. He loved to watch and enjoy the warmth of a fire in the woodstove.
Gordie was a man of discipline and routine, was also a well-known fixture in the Greilickville Community taking his two mile walks every day, rain or shine on the T.A.R.T Trail, crossing M-22, along the beach, through the marina, through the tunnel under M-22, then back through his neighborhood making a loop. Because of his down-to-earth personality and genuine interest in others, he never met a stranger. He had a way of putting people at ease and making them feel welcome. He'd stop and catch up with friends and neighbors, lend a helping hand, or offer advice and wisdom from his wealth of experiences. He was a good listener, a patient teacher, and was always thinking about how to improve or fix things for his family and friends. He was a good man and valued time spent with family. He instilled those values in his children by example. He honored and respected his parents and in-laws by helping them and taking his kids to visit every week for Sunday dinner and to allow them to spend cherished time with their grandparents. He strived to live by the belief, "To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors." -Tia Walker
He is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Cleo May Boone; his children, Robert (Margie) Boone, Eugene Boone, Dale (Kathy) Boone, and Melanie Campbell; his grandchildren, Josh Boone, Jayson (Megan) Boone, Alissa (Zack) Stanz, Lindsey (Richard) Witham, Mikayla (Tim) Roy, Nick Brink, and his grand-pup Abby; and his great-grandchildren, Riley, Chandler, Aria, Fox, Archie, and Maggie.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Janet "Kay" (Ken) Janda, Phyllis "Pud" (Jim) Gauthier, and Harley "Bud" (Emily) Boone.
A celebration of Gordon's life will be announced at a later date.
Rest in peace Dad. We love you and miss you.
Please share condolences and memories with Gordon's family at www.martinson.info.
Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.