Gordon Russell Fawcett Jr.

Gordon Russell Fawcett Jr.
June 21, 1937 – June 4, 2025

Gordon Russell Fawcett Jr. was called home to be with his Lord on June 4, 2025, just weeks before celebrating his 65th wedding anniversary with his beloved wife, Mary.

Born on June 21, 1937, in Middleboro, Massachusetts, Gordon was the son of Gordon Sr. and Ida (Knickman) Fawcett. As a young man, Gordan achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and strongly supported Boy Scouts his entire life.  He was also a member of the Middleboro Chapter of DeMolay.

A proud graduate of Norwich University in Vermont, he earned his degree in 1959 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1960.

That same year, Gordon began a career with the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C., where he met Mary Gilkerson of Falls City, Nebraska. The two were married on June 25, 1960, beginning a lifetime of love and service together.

Gordon dedicated 20 years to active duty in the U.S. Army, retiring in 1980 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Armor Corps. His distinguished military career took him across the globe, with assignments in Germany, Korea, and various U.S. locations including Fort Hood, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, where he served as a Military Science Instructor at the University of Dayton.

A Vietnam combat veteran, Gordon served with distinction during the TET Offensive as Operations Officer for the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor—proudly reminding others that "yes, the Army had tanks in the jungle." He later played a pivotal role in helping the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, California, integrate emerging technologies into their combat operations.

He earned a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the Florida Institute of Technology through the Army Computer Science School at Fort Harrison, Indianapolis. One of his final military assignments took him to Fort Huachuca, Arizona and Los Angeles, California, where he led the development of a computer-driven model simulating a 100-division Russian invasion scenario—an innovative effort that supported intelligence and command operations for NATO.

After retiring from the Army, Gordon continued serving the nation through civilian roles in software systems project management and defense intelligence. He contributed significantly to national security programs while working with INTERCON Corporation and later with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), where he led military space initiatives for 20 years.

In 2001, Gordon and Mary relocated from La Palma to Murrieta, California. Deeply committed to supporting the military community, Gordon played a leading role in revitalizing the Greater Los Angeles USO, serving as Chairman of the Board for a decade. Under his leadership, the Bob Hope Hollywood USO at LAX, along with centers in Ontario and Palm Springs, served more than a million service members and their families.

He was also a driving force behind the creation of veteran’s memorials in Murrieta, honoring those who served in every U.S. conflict through the Vietnam War. As President of the Murrieta Veterans Memorial Foundation, Gordon helped make these tributes a lasting legacy in the heart of the city.

Most recently, Gordon and Mary made their home in Granite Falls, North Carolina. They were longtime members of Murrieta United Methodist Church and more recently joined Abernethy United Methodist Church in Rutherford College, North Carolina.

Gordon is survived by his devoted wife, Mary, and their three daughters: Kelley Anderson (John), Tracy Hymes (Kirk), and Leslie Fawcett-Putman. He leaves behind seven grandchildren—Mathew Hymes (Melanie), Ryan Hymes (Alyx), Morgan Thurston (Robert), Craig Anderson (Melissa), Lauren Anderson, Sean Putman, and Maria Putman—as well as three great-grandchildren: Aiden, Charlotte, and Finn Hymes.

Gordon lived a life of faithful service, enduring love, and generous leadership. He will be remembered with deep admiration and great affection by all who knew him.

The funeral will be held on Monday, June 9, 2025, at Abernathy Methodist Church, 960 Malcohm Blvd, Rutherford College, NC 28612 at 11:00am. Interment will be at 10:00 AM on Tuesday June 10, 2025, at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 962 Old US Hwy 70 in Black Mountain, NC.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to:

The Murrieta California Veteran’s Memorial.  Instructions can be found at https://www.murrietaca.gov/450/Donations.

Or to the Saint Stephens Lutheran Veterans Mission.  Please visit https://www.sslcms.org/give and select the “Veterans Support Mission” fund in the drop-down menu.