Gordon T. Leboutillier

Rock Rapids, IA

      Gordon T. LeBoutillier age 95, of Hills, MN, formerly of Rock Rapids, IA passed away on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at the Hills Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, MN.

     A memorial service will take place at 1:00 PM, Saturday, February 11, 2023, at Jurrens Funeral Home in Hills, Minnesota with Reverend Greg Johnson, officiating.

     Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.

Gordon Thomas LeBoutillier was born on Friday, May 13, 1927, to his parents, Thomas and Hyla (Stanforth) LeBoutillier in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Though born on what some might consider an unlucky day, he defied superstition to live a remarkable life that spanned some 95 years, 72 of those spent married to his beloved bride, Patricia Ann. He passed away on February 4, 2023, in Hills, Minnesota.

Gordon was the middle child of five siblings: older brother and sister, Phillip and Joan, and the younger twins, Jean and John, each of whom lived past the age of 90 but preceded him in death. As youths, Gordon, his siblings, and his parents were all avid ice skaters, and all of them skated well into their later years.

Gordon served his country as a U.S. Navy midshipman in World War II, and he was stationed in the Philippines. After his military service, he attended and graduated in 1951 from General Beadle State Teachers College (now known as Dakota State University) in Madison, South Dakota. Gordon met his wife, Pat (née Leeper), at General Beadle, where she was in training as a nurse. They were united in marriage on December 7, 1951, in Madison. Gordon and Pat’s dynamic marriage served as an inspiration for many. In particular, Gordon's love for and devotion to his wife was perhaps his greatest fulfillment.

Gordon sold typewriters for Remington Rand for a short time before entering the field of education. His first teaching job was in Volga, South Dakota, where he taught high school typing, shorthand, French, and bookkeeping and directed the high school chorus. Gordon loved the classroom.

Gordon's career in education kept his family on the move. The family moved from Volga to Zumbrota, Minnesota, where Gordon took a new teaching position and built a house, an experience he often fondly recounted later in life. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Gordon supplemented his education with Master's and Specialist degrees in Education Administration. He served as high school principal in Cleveland, Minnesota, in Bertha, Minnesota, and in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Later, he served as superintendent of schools at Storden-Jeffers, at Hills-Beaver Creek, and (after "retirement") at Ellsworth.

Throughout his career in education, he supplemented his income by painting houses and doing specialty sign painting and lettering. He was active in the United Methodist Church and the Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) in various locations, singing tenor in the choir and serving in various other lay leadership capacities. He was a member of the Masonic Order for nearly 50 years. He was an ardent reader, sports fan, and lover of music. Many people who visited Gordon and Pat's living room were treated to a duet that featured Gordon's vocals accompanied by Pat's piano.

Gordon was very social and loved parties and family gatherings of all kinds, especially if there was storytelling or a sing-along involved. He loved to play cards and board games of all kinds. His family will miss his grilled hamburgers, his pancakes, his Grasshoppers, and his Hot Buttered Rum.

His passion was sailing. Gordon owned a number of different boats and once built a sailboat from scratch, doing all the woodworking, painting, and application of fiberglass himself. He enjoyed navigating his various boats on lakes in Minnesota and South Dakota, notably Lake Shetek, near Currie Minnesota, where he and his wife owned lake property for several years. An avid sailor, he was able to complete two life goals by sailing on Chesapeake Bay and on Puget Sound.

Gordon loved to travel. He took the entire family to Washington DC in the 60s, and he and Pat took a trip to Banff National Park in their travel trailer in the 80s. Alongside his son, Steve, he also attended the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976 and again in Atlanta in 1996. He traveled to France with his grandson, Nate, in 2000, visiting never-before-met relatives and making a special trip to the beaches at Normandy, site of the World War II D-Day landings.

Gordon will be remembered by many he met and worked with. His memory will be especially cherished by his wife, children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who, due to his long life and dedication to family, got to know him well. He will be remembered for his positive and upbeat attitude, his warmth and friendliness, his wise and steady advice and counsel, his legendary storytelling (which included stories of past relatives), and his corny jokes and impromptu songs. Gordon had a speaking and singing voice that will continue to ring in the ears of those who heard it long after his passing. He had a laugh that defined laughter.

Gordon is survived by his wife, Patricia, and his children, Linda LeBoutillier, Cynthia LeBoutillier (Matt Hagin), Steven LeBoutillier (Gail Nelson LeBoutillier), and Paul LeBoutillier (Sue Orloske LeBoutillier), as well as 13 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. Gordon is also survived by eight nieces and four nephews and was preceded in death by two of his nephews as well as his four siblings.

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