Obituary (published in the Missoulian 6/23/2019)
MISSOULA — Margaret (Betty) Elizabeth Carpenter Gordon passed away at her Missoula home on May 7, 2019.
Betty was born Feb. 25, 1937, to Robert H. and Margaret I. Carpenter in Helena. The family relocated to Missoula in 1940 where Betty was educated at St. Anthony’s Elementary School and Sacred Heart Academy, graduating in 1955. She attended Gonzaga University and received her bachelor's degree in sociology with honors and her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1959; after which she taught third grade in Lind, Washington, for one year.
She married James E. (Jim) Gordon whom she met at Gonzaga in 1960. They resided in Glendale, California, and Moses Lake, Washington, before relocating to Missoula in 1965. In addition to raising five children, Betty was a longtime employee of Missoula County Public Schools Food and Nutrition department, working both at Franklin Elementary School and the district Central Kitchen. She began her employment in 1980 and retired in 2014.
Betty loved her summers and spring breaks. She enjoyed traveling during those times with her beloved sister, Mary Jo McClain, and they went on many road trips together. Betty also enjoyed spending time in her little trailer at Elbow Lake. She loved flowers and gardening, especially roses. She was a competitive athlete and as a younger woman, enjoyed volleyball, softball, ice skating, synchronized swimming and was a lifeguard. She remained competitive throughout her life and thoroughly enjoyed beating her children at any game, especially ping pong. She loved music and played piano, organ, ukulele and sang. She was a member of the Gonzaga Glee Club and toured the U.S. As a mom, she made her house the place to play for the neighborhood kids and as her children moved away, made sure that their rooms were intact and there was always a place for them at home. One of the biggest highlights of her life were the July 4th reunions when all her kids would be together.
Betty was fun-loving, hard-working, liked by many and loved dearly by her children. She is survived by her sister Mary Jo McClain, son James Jr. (Tori) of Missoula, daughter Tammy (Scott) Gordon McElroy of Richmond, Texas, son Mark (Marta) Gordon of Portland, Oregon, son Matthew Gordon of Seattle and son Michael (Julie) Gordon of Vancouver, Washington. She is also survived by her grandchildren Karissa, Randy, Conner, Baylee, Josephine and Julianna Gordon, Derreck Lynn, James and Joshua Miller, Christopher, Kirk, Kyle and Elizabeth McElroy and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by parents Robert and Margaret Carpenter, aunt Elizabeth Donovan, husband Jim Gordon, brother Robert Carpenter and nephew Patrick Carpenter and the family’s dog, Brutus, whom she loved.
Memorial services will be held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 5, with a reception immediately following in the Parish Life Center. Betty’s family would also like to thank the staff at Partners in Home Care Hospice and her caregivers Iris Schmidt, Mandy Lorash and Jodi Hoggatt. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Missoula Catholic Schools Foundation or the Missoula Food Bank.
MISSOULA — Margaret (Betty) Elizabeth Carpenter Gordon passed away at her Missoula home on May 7, 2019.
Betty was born Feb. 25, 1937, to Robert H. and Margaret I. Carpenter in Helena. The family relocated to Missoula in 1940 where Betty was educated at St. Anthony’s Elementary School and Sacred Heart Academy, graduating in 1955. She attended Gonzaga University and received her bachelor's degree in sociology with honors and her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1959; after which she taught third grade in Lind, Washington, for one year.
She married James E. (Jim) Gordon whom she met at Gonzaga in 1960. They resided in Glendale, California, and Moses Lake, Washington, before relocating to Missoula in 1965. In addition to raising five children, Betty was a longtime employee of Missoula County Public Schools Food and Nutrition department, working both at Franklin Elementary School and the district Central Kitchen. She began her employment in 1980 and retired in 2014.
Betty loved her summers and spring breaks. She enjoyed traveling during those times with her beloved sister, Mary Jo McClain, and they went on many road trips together. Betty also enjoyed spending time in her little trailer at Elbow Lake. She loved flowers and gardening, especially roses. She was a competitive athlete and as a younger woman, enjoyed volleyball, softball, ice skating, synchronized swimming and was a lifeguard. She remained competitive throughout her life and thoroughly enjoyed beating her children at any game, especially ping pong. She loved music and played piano, organ, ukulele and sang. She was a member of the Gonzaga Glee Club and toured the U.S. As a mom, she made her house the place to play for the neighborhood kids and as her children moved away, made sure that their rooms were intact and there was always a place for them at home. One of the biggest highlights of her life were the July 4th reunions when all her kids would be together.
Betty was fun-loving, hard-working, liked by many and loved dearly by her children. She is survived by her sister Mary Jo McClain, son James Jr. (Tori) of Missoula, daughter Tammy (Scott) Gordon McElroy of Richmond, Texas, son Mark (Marta) Gordon of Portland, Oregon, son Matthew Gordon of Seattle and son Michael (Julie) Gordon of Vancouver, Washington. She is also survived by her grandchildren Karissa, Randy, Conner, Baylee, Josephine and Julianna Gordon, Derreck Lynn, James and Joshua Miller, Christopher, Kirk, Kyle and Elizabeth McElroy and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by parents Robert and Margaret Carpenter, aunt Elizabeth Donovan, husband Jim Gordon, brother Robert Carpenter and nephew Patrick Carpenter and the family’s dog, Brutus, whom she loved.
Memorial services will be held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 5, with a reception immediately following in the Parish Life Center. Betty’s family would also like to thank the staff at Partners in Home Care Hospice and her caregivers Iris Schmidt, Mandy Lorash and Jodi Hoggatt. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Missoula Catholic Schools Foundation or the Missoula Food Bank.
Obituary (published in the Missoulian 6/23/2019)
MISSOULA — Margaret (Betty) Elizabeth Carpenter Gordon passed away at her Missoula home on May 7, 2019.
Betty was born Feb. 25, 1937, to Robert H. and Margaret I. Carpenter in Helena. The family relocated to Missoula in 1940 where Betty was educated at St. Anthony’s Elementary School and Sacred Heart Academy, graduating in 1955. She attended Gonzaga University and received her bachelor's degree in sociology with honors and her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1959; after which she taught third grade in Lind, Washington, for one year.
She married James E. (Jim) Gordon whom she met at Gonzaga in 1960. They resided in Glendale, California, and Moses Lake, Washington, before relocating to Missoula in 1965. In addition to raising five children, Betty was a longtime employee of Missoula County Public Schools Food and Nutrition department, working both at Franklin Elementary School and the district Central Kitchen. She began her employment in 1980 and retired in 2014.
Betty loved her summers and spring breaks. She enjoyed traveling during those times with her beloved sister, Mary Jo McClain, and they went on many road trips together. Betty also enjoyed spending time in her little trailer at Elbow Lake. She loved flowers and gardening, especially roses. She was a competitive athlete and as a younger woman, enjoyed volleyball, softball, ice skating, synchronized swimming and was a lifeguard. She remained competitive throughout her life and thoroughly enjoyed beating her children at any game, especially ping pong. She loved music and played piano, organ, ukulele and sang. She was a member of the Gonzaga Glee Club and toured the U.S. As a mom, she made her house the place to play for the neighborhood kids and as her children moved away, made sure that their rooms were intact and there was always a place for them at home. One of the biggest highlights of her life were the July 4th reunions when all her kids would be together.
Betty was fun-loving, hard-working, liked by many and loved dearly by her children. She is survived by her sister Mary Jo McClain, son James Jr. (Tori) of Missoula, daughter Tammy (Scott) Gordon McElroy of Richmond, Texas, son Mark (Marta) Gordon of Portland, Oregon, son Matthew Gordon of Seattle and son Michael (Julie) Gordon of Vancouver, Washington. She is also survived by her grandchildren Karissa, Randy, Conner, Baylee, Josephine and Julianna Gordon, Derreck Lynn, James and Joshua Miller, Christopher, Kirk, Kyle and Elizabeth McElroy and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by parents Robert and Margaret Carpenter, aunt Elizabeth Donovan, husband Jim Gordon, brother Robert Carpenter and nephew Patrick Carpenter and the family’s dog, Brutus, whom she loved.
Memorial services will be held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 5, with a reception immediately following in the Parish Life Center. Betty’s family would also like to thank the staff at Partners in Home Care Hospice and her caregivers Iris Schmidt, Mandy Lorash and Jodi Hoggatt. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Missoula Catholic Schools Foundation or the Missoula Food Bank.
MISSOULA — Margaret (Betty) Elizabeth Carpenter Gordon passed away at her Missoula home on May 7, 2019.
Betty was born Feb. 25, 1937, to Robert H. and Margaret I. Carpenter in Helena. The family relocated to Missoula in 1940 where Betty was educated at St. Anthony’s Elementary School and Sacred Heart Academy, graduating in 1955. She attended Gonzaga University and received her bachelor's degree in sociology with honors and her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1959; after which she taught third grade in Lind, Washington, for one year.
She married James E. (Jim) Gordon whom she met at Gonzaga in 1960. They resided in Glendale, California, and Moses Lake, Washington, before relocating to Missoula in 1965. In addition to raising five children, Betty was a longtime employee of Missoula County Public Schools Food and Nutrition department, working both at Franklin Elementary School and the district Central Kitchen. She began her employment in 1980 and retired in 2014.
Betty loved her summers and spring breaks. She enjoyed traveling during those times with her beloved sister, Mary Jo McClain, and they went on many road trips together. Betty also enjoyed spending time in her little trailer at Elbow Lake. She loved flowers and gardening, especially roses. She was a competitive athlete and as a younger woman, enjoyed volleyball, softball, ice skating, synchronized swimming and was a lifeguard. She remained competitive throughout her life and thoroughly enjoyed beating her children at any game, especially ping pong. She loved music and played piano, organ, ukulele and sang. She was a member of the Gonzaga Glee Club and toured the U.S. As a mom, she made her house the place to play for the neighborhood kids and as her children moved away, made sure that their rooms were intact and there was always a place for them at home. One of the biggest highlights of her life were the July 4th reunions when all her kids would be together.
Betty was fun-loving, hard-working, liked by many and loved dearly by her children. She is survived by her sister Mary Jo McClain, son James Jr. (Tori) of Missoula, daughter Tammy (Scott) Gordon McElroy of Richmond, Texas, son Mark (Marta) Gordon of Portland, Oregon, son Matthew Gordon of Seattle and son Michael (Julie) Gordon of Vancouver, Washington. She is also survived by her grandchildren Karissa, Randy, Conner, Baylee, Josephine and Julianna Gordon, Derreck Lynn, James and Joshua Miller, Christopher, Kirk, Kyle and Elizabeth McElroy and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by parents Robert and Margaret Carpenter, aunt Elizabeth Donovan, husband Jim Gordon, brother Robert Carpenter and nephew Patrick Carpenter and the family’s dog, Brutus, whom she loved.
Memorial services will be held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 5, with a reception immediately following in the Parish Life Center. Betty’s family would also like to thank the staff at Partners in Home Care Hospice and her caregivers Iris Schmidt, Mandy Lorash and Jodi Hoggatt. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Missoula Catholic Schools Foundation or the Missoula Food Bank.
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