Gordon "Herb" Commodore

Gordon Herbert "Herb" Commodore

Cary

Gordon Herbert "Herb" Commodore, age 42, died in his home in Cary, NC on Saturday, April 12, 2014.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 10:00 AM at Mother of Mercy Catholic Church located at 112 West 9th Street, Washington, NC followed at 11:00 AM by a graveside service with military honors at Oakdale Cemetery. Following the burial a celebration of Herb's life will be held at Backwater Jack's located 1052 E Main St, Washington, NC.

Herb's parents, Gordon and Catherine Commodore, welcomed him to the world on December 10, 1971 in Peoria, Illinois. The family settled in New Bern North Carolina where he began playing soccer at the age of eight and joined the Boy Scouts, working his way up to the level of The Order of the Arrow. He was also very active in the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh in Youth Ministry, and the SEARCH program.

After attending grade school at St Paul's in New Bern, Herb graduated in the top ten of his class from Kinston High School in 1990. He went on to study mechanical engineering at North Carolina State University and was in the Navy R.O.T.C. while there.

Feeding his entrepreneurial spirit, Herb ran his own paper route in New Bern, participated in Junior Achievement, and worked throughout his school years. Herb then spent almost twenty years with Duke University's Information Technology Department, dealing with network security.

After 9-11-01, Herb joined the U.S. Army Reserve and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant serving with two military police battalions, the 805th and 535th out of Fort Bragg. He was called to serve one tour in Iraq and two tours of duty in Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star for Exceptional Meritorious Service by providing communications support at the detention center at Bagram during Operation Enduring Freedom. Herb completed his military service at the end of 2013 with an honorable discharge.

Following in his father's footsteps, Herb was a Life Member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7383 in Cary, NC. He was an avid Harley-Davidson rider and enjoyed being a member of the Harley-Davidson Owners Group and the Rolling Thunder Organization.

Herb always loved spending time outdoors, especially camping and hiking in the mountains with his brothers or taking his boat out for a sail on the water. Whether he was on his boat, riding his Harley or driving his Jeep, the trip and who he was with always mattered more to Herb than the destination. Although Herb loved the freedom of the open road and sea, most importantly, he loved his family, especially his nieces and nephews, and the USA even more, serving all of us with great dedication during his forty-two years.

Herb is survived by: his mother, Catherine Skarbek of Anamosa, IA; father and stepmother, Gordon & Ellen Commodore Jr. of Cary, NC; brother Joseph Commodore and wife Yvette of Pinedale, WY; brother Brian Commodore and wife Kendall of Farmville, NC; grandmother Violet Martin of Ontario, Canada; 7 nieces and nephews: Gabriel, Mikala, Isabela, Hannah, Tobias, Sophia and David; several aunts, uncles and cousins; and his ex-wife Aimee Wynhausen.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial account has been established at BB&T. Checks may be made to Brian Commodore, annotate in the memo line memorial fund.

Condolences may be sent to: The Commodore Family, 2572 Nash Joyner Rd, Farmville, NC 27828.

Arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home and Crematory.

Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com