- "Richard H. Gourley, 93, of Minocqua, died peacefully at his residence on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Beloved father, grandfather, and brother, he was born in Waukegan, Ill., on Jan. 15, 1923, but was a lifelong Wisconsin boy growing up in Kenosha.
Rick was only a teenager when he went north to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC camps) down Blue Lake Road south of Minocqua. There he was assigned as cook and remembered peeling 16 tons of potatoes. But it was from there he also met his future wife, Beth (Luedtke) whose family owned the Blue Lake Resort on Blue Lake Island. At the time the resort served meals, and foremen from the CCC camp often went over to eat. They were allowed to bring only their most trusted workers because the Luedtkes had three very attractive daughters, Audrey and twins Beth and Gwenn. Rick was one of the chosen, and he and Beth were married for 71 years before her death in the spring of 2014.
Rick served as a pilot in the Army Air Corp during WWII. His only child, Andree, was born on the morning he soloed and was awarded his wings. Flying a B-24 Liberator out of England, he was one of the few pilots who survived all of his bombing missions into Germany. Though once shot down over Belgium, he was safely returned to his base with the help of Allied Resistance.
Rick was a carpenter by trade and after moving to Castro Valley, Calif., in the 1950s he joined a Bay Area construction firm called the Pacific Company. With them he rose first to foreman, then superintendent, and many San Francisco high rise buildings stand as monuments to his building career.
Rick and Beth took early retirement to purchase and run the Blue Lake Resort in the early 1970s. During off seasons of the 15 years they ran the resort, the Gourleys traveled the globe together visiting every continent except Greenland and Antarctica. Besides being a world traveler, Rick was a member of American Legion Post 89, a formidable bridge player, and a lifelong stamp collector.
He is survived by his only daughter, Andree Graveley, proprietor of Blue Lake Resort since 1989; his three grandchildren Michael (Claire) Graveley of Kenosha, Nicole (Paul Smith) Graveley of San Leandro, Calif., and Sarah Graveley of Minneapolis, Minn. On the very day of his death Rick heard the good news that his grandson Michael was running for district attorney of Kenosha County. Other decendants include four great grandchildren, Ben, Lucas, Amelia, and Aron. He is also survived by a loving sister, Joyce Fitchett of Racine, sister-in-law Audrey Despain of Castro Valley, Ca., and numerous nieces, nephews, and their children.
The family of this beloved man wish him good travels in a place with no wars, now that he has graduated from this life and has surely earned and been awarded his next set of wings."
(Published by Kenosha News on Mar. 29, 2016).
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Om slægterne Brændgaard & Heilesen
1923 - 2016 (93 år)
Nekrolog