Gordon Ole Wang October 17, 1938 ~ August 28, 2024 (age 85)

Gordon Ole Wang was born on October 17, 1938, in Great Falls, Montana.  He grew up on his dad’s large polled hereford farm in Plentywood, Montana.  At 17, he got his airplane pilot’s license and was a member of the civil air patrol.  He owned a plane and liked to fly around over the farm.  After graduating high school, Gordon enlisted in the U.S, Air Force.  While stationed in California, he met the lovely Barbara Jean Mires.  On January 27, 1962, they were married and moved to Glendale, Arizona.  On their first wedding anniversary, Gordon left for his next assignment at RAF Weathersfield, England.  Jean stayed in California for 2 months before joining him in England.  While stationed in England, Gordon and Jean had two daughters, in 1964 and 1966.  In 1967, the family moved to Phoenix, Arizona.  That same year, Gordon got out of the Air Force, and they all moved to Michigan for his new job as a teacher of computer programming.  Michigan wasn’t the place for them, so in December 1969, the family moved to Brighton, CO.  Gordon worked as a systems analyst in Denver until 1977.  In 1977, the Wang family opened their new Western Auto store in Fort Collins, Colorado.  During the time they owned the store, Gordon sold lots of other things that were not regular Western Auto merchandise.  He liked to stay on the cutting edge of new technology.  He sold satellite dishes, electric cars, and computers.  In 1982, the store was closed out.  Next, he started his own business selling and repairing computers until 2006.  In 2019, Gordon and Jean moved to Portales, New Mexico to be closer to Jean’s sister, Erma Mize, and her husband, Wayne.

In 2012, Gordon was diagnosed with vascular dementia. In 2020, he was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  Jean faithfully and lovingly cared for Gordon all his life, right up to the end.

During his life, Gordon had many interests:  flying (his favorite), leatherworking, built a sailboat, sailing, hunting, fishing, camping in the Colorado Rockies, 4-wheel driving, shooting guns (including black powder guns which earned him a spot as a movie extra!), model building, locksmithing, skindiving, playing games with friends and family, staying busy with projects.

Gordon is survived by his wife, Barbara (Jean) Wang; his daughters: Annette Williams (married to Kenny), LaVerne Cluff; his granddaughters: Cassidy Osborne (married to Sean), Manon Mozingo, Suzette Cluff; his great grandchildren: Jasper Mozingo, Harbor Dahlke; his siblings: Raymond Wang (married to Audrey), Kathryn Reeve, Ruby Hamm (married to Tim).

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