Gordon Holmes

1941 - 2020

Gordon W. Holmes Jr, 79, a loving husband and father of two children, passed away on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. Gordon was born October 30, 1941 to Gordon and Margaret Holmes in Abbeville, Alabama. The first of three children (younger sisters Martha and Elizabeth), Gordon would graduate from Abbeville High School as a member of the Class of 1960. He would then attend Auburn University where he earned a degree in electrical engineering and was a member of the Auburn ROTC program. Upon graduating, Gordon joined the U.S. Army to fulfill the requirements of his ROTC scholarship and achieved the rank of First Lieutenant. From there, his degree would lead to a career that saw him working in several exotic locales such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Thailand. On April 6, 1968, Gordon married Janet Lee Bish of Winchester, Virginia. Together they raised a daughter (Janet) and a son (Gordon III). Gordon was passionate about military history. It was often after watching a war movie that he would hop on the internet to make sure the producers had gotten all of the details right. He was also very skilled at creating model ships. Not content to simply build them, he would also read up on each detail of the massive crafts. And, autumn Saturdays were always spent watching his beloved Auburn Tigers tear up the gridiron. Each successful play was met with an emphatic cry of “War Eagle!” Gordon was known for his quick wit, his strong work ethic, and never letting you off the phone before saying that he loved you. Gordon was preceded in death by his father Gordon Sr., his mother Margaret, and his sister Elizabeth (Betsy). He is survived by his wife Janet, his children Janet and Gordon III, his son-in-law Alan, his daughter-in-law Lyndsey, his three grandchildren; Courtney, Steven, and Lyric, his sister Martha, his brothers-in-law Charles, Dudley, Fred, and Larry, his sister-in-law Kathryn, and several cousins, nephews, and a niece. A funeral service will be held later this summer. Bean Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Sinking Spring is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.beanfuneralhomes.com. Oh…and “War Eagle!”