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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
SARJEANT, Gordon - Longtime Bellingham resident Gordon Sarjeant passed away after a short battle with liver cancer.
Born in Vancouver, B.C. to Frank and Helen Sarjeant and raised in South Burnaby, Gordon said he always looked south to where the better weather seemed to be. He was constantly busy with projects, on the move, and joined the Canadian Naval Reserve in High School. After graduating from Burnaby South High School, he moved to Seattle to work for Union Oil. In 1960 he enlisted in the US Army while still a Canadian citizen. He fought the cold war at a fuel depot in Saint-Baussant, France, and became an American citizen around this time. While on leave in 1962, he met his future wife, Eleanor Berry, in West Berlin, who was also on holiday. After getting married in 1963 and finishing out his service, they moved to Seattle where Gordon returned to Union Oil for a number of years before finally settling in Bellingham in 1968. For approximately the next 30 years Gordon was a franchisee with the accounting firm E.K. Williams. He inherited his father's carpentry skills and was never still, always busy with a project for himself and generously assisting others in theirs. He was an avid boater, enjoying the San Juan Islands, and trips up the Inside Passage, and down into Puget Sound and he was active in the Antique Automobile Restorers Club. After retirement and seeking even sunnier weather, Gordon and Eleanor moved to Sun City, AZ, and became snowbirds. After entertaining friends and family seeking that same sunny weather and baseball spring training, they hit the road in their motorhome, returning every summer to the Bellingham area and their boat.
He is survived by his wife Eleanor (currently living in a memory care facility), his sister Marilynn Sewell, his children Bruce (Ellen), Ian (Jen), Heather (Aaron), and 4 grandchildren. A celebration of life will be planned next summer in Bellingham.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley, Phoenix, AZ. (The Bellingham Herald 11 Sep 2021)
Ships served in:
Naval Reserve Summer Training Cruise - 1956 (Note: 1) (GS001) HMCS SAULT STE MARIE going through the first lock on the Welland Canal - Jul 1956 (GS002) L-R: Gordon Sarjeant, Mike Gilker and John Lang on HMCS SAULT STE MARIE (GS003) Gordon Sarjeant (left) and John Lang on HMCS SAULT STE MARIE (GS004) HMCS SAULT STE MARIE at Toledo, Ohio, USA (GS005) Dave Hughes (left) and Ron Blaskovits at stand easy drinking pop on HMCS SAULT STE MARIE Note 1: Sea training was carried out in ships of the 11th Escort Squadron - HMC Ships PORTAGE, SAULT STE MARIE and WALLACEBURG; Fairmiles BEAVER, COUGAR, RACCOON and WOLF. They were later joined by Bird class patrol craft BLUE HERON, MALLARD and CORMORANT.
(GS006) HMCS WOLF 762 alongside the wall near Lock 8 on the Welland Canal. Photo taken from HMCS SAULT STE MARIE (GS007) Unknown Fairmile seen from HMCS SAULT STE MARIE (GS008 - GS009) Firing the 20mm Oerlikon off to port and then starboard on HMCS SAULT STE MARIE (GS010) HMCS SAULT STE MARIE alongside at Hamilton, Ontario.
Article from the Oct 1956 issue of the Crowsnest magazine on the RCN(R) Summer Training Cruise
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