Gordon P. Woolner

MANCHESTER - Gordon Page "Joe" Woolner, passed away on Jan. 19 after a brief illness at the age of 97. He was born Sept. 28, 1918, at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, and was the son of Elizabeth (Page) and George Woolner. He attended elementary grades at Straw School and graduated from Manchester Central High in 1936.While in high school, Joe had entered his first shooting competition out of state with a friend when he was 16 years old and became a long-time member of the National Rifle Association, entering and winning many competitions such as Marksman First Class, Pro-Marksman, Sharpshooters, Expert- and Distinguished Rifleman in the NRA Junior Divisions.Joe was an outdoorsman who loved hunting in the mountains, fishing at the lakes, oystering at Great Bay, cross-country skiing at Derryfield and on the New Hampshire slopes, playing golf and bird watching.He went on to study forestry and graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire in 1940 and was a member of the UNH Alpha Zeta Society.While at UNH, Joe joined the varsity rifle team and consistently ranked in the top five sharpshooters while competing and winning against other varsity and military teams such as B.U., M.I.T and West Point.He also joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps., from 1936 to 1938, graduating with the rank of sergeant from the Senior Infantry Division. While with the R.O.T.C., he competed in the U.S. Army National Matches in 1937, and was an instructor in rifle marksmanship in the small arms firing school, Camp Perry, Ohio.Joe was married to Gladys (Burnell) Woolner after college and they were together for 63 years. They met while skiing on the New Hampshire slopes and he fell in love with her at first sight. They had a long, full life together and had one son, Gordon Page Woolner Jr., who they called their "G.P". Sadly, GP predeceased Joe in 1967, and Gladys passed away in 2005. They lived in Manchester, Lancaster, Swanzey and Hooksett N.H.; then retired in 1978 to Bradenton, Fla.Gordon "Joe" was a WWII and Korean War Veteran. He joined the Army in 1942 and served with the Chemical Corps in the Pittsburgh Procurement District until 1946. In 1949, he was called to active duty and served in the Boston District and later in Korea, from 1951 to 1953, as the assistant division chemical officer for the 45th Infantry Division at the rank of captain. He was also a member of the New Hampshire National Guard from 1946 to 1962 and retired as a reserve commissioned officer with the rank of major.He was employed with New England Telephone and Telegraph in the Outside Plant Engineering Depot and retired from the telephone company after 32 years 1978. Joe worked in Manchester, Lancaster and Keene, N.H. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Telephone Workers and was active in the Telephone Pioneers of America, N.H. and Florida Associations.In his early career, while working in Lancaster, he was proud to have been part of a team that connected the northern part of New Hampshire to the rest of the U.S. and the world.Gordon "Joe" Woolner was a Mason and longstanding member of the Lodge of the Temple No. 88 in Keene; the Masonic Home Lodge No.1904, F. & A. M., Manchester; William Pitt Tavern, Lodge No. 1789 F. & A. M.; and the Washington Masonic Lodge No. 61 F. & A. M., in Manchester for 58 years.He was a longtime member of the First Congregational Church in Manchester, where he served as deacon and head usher and was on various committees for many years before retiring to Florida.Joe leaves many friends and a few cousins in New Hampshire, Florida, Maine and California. He was a kind and gentle soul who loved life and remained active during his retirement fishing, golfing, playing cards and volunteering his time with the Southeastern Guide Dogs, in Palmetto, Fla., caring for them and walking them for many miles. We will all miss him and we wish him Godspeed until we meet again.There will be no calling hours and arrangements will be made for a burial at Pine Grove Cemetery in the spring where he will be joined with parents, wife and son.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in his honor to Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc. 4210 77th St. East, Palmetto, Fla., 34221, or call (941) 729-6646, or go to www.guidedogs.org or the NH Audubon Society.