Gordon Milne, Jr.

Gordon Milne, Jr. of Lansing, MI, passed away on Saturday, December 17, 2016. Gordon was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on July 14, 1925, the first child of Gordon and Olive (Coomes) Milne. He attended Pittsfield schools and lettered on the ski team. Gordon was also active in scouting, earning the rank of Eagle Scout, and he continued that participation as his sons became Scouts. He graduated from high school in 1943, and immediately joined the U.S. 9th Army Air Force. Following basic training, he was sent to Michigan State College for his required educational courses. While there, he met Nancy Elizabeth Baxter on a blind date, beginning a life-long romance. Gordon was assigned as a navigator on a B26 Marauder with the 344th Bomb Group. After the war, he continued his education at Michigan State College on the GI Bill, and on August 30, 1947, he and Nancy were married at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lansing. Gordon was an active member there for the rest of his life.

Gordon received his degree in Civil Engineering and was a Squad Leader in the Bridge Design Division of the Michigan Department of Transportation. He retired in 1991 after 42 years with MDOT. Gordon and Nancy loved to travel, and they had many adventures around the world, from the Arctic Circle to Greece. They also enjoyed several weeks each summer on Lake Leelanau where Gordon enjoyed paddling in a kayak he made himself when he was a teenager.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, his sister and brother-in-law Ruth and David Kellogg, son-in-law Donald McCaffree, and daughter-in-law Jennifer Daniels Milne. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Nancy, his daughter Jane McCaffree (Jim) Bisaha, of Alpharetta, GA; his son Robert (Claire) Milne of Kalamazoo, MI; and his son James (Theresa) Milne, of East Lansing. Gordon was blessed with three grandchildren: Christopher McCaffree, of Las Vegas, NV; and Ian and Hope Milne, of East Lansing. Gordon is also survived by his sister Sara (Gerald) Nonken of Canton, CT/Naples, FL; and many nieces and nephews.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 218 W. Ottawa St., Lansing, the Reverend Karen C. Lewis presiding. Luncheon and sharing of memories will follow, at the church. Donations to honor Gordon’s memory may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Boy Scouts of America, or Great Lakes Caring Hospice Foundation.  The family is being served by the Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, 325 W. Washtenaw St., Lansing, MI 48933.