Obituary for Gordon W. La Combe
Gordon W. La Combe, age 78, passed away on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 with family by his side. Born in Kenosha on June 24,1942 he was the son of the late Wilfred and Janet (Powell) La Combe. A lifelong resident of Kenosha, Gordon was a 1960 graduate of Bradford High School and attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he earned a degree in graphic design.
On December 19, 1970, Gordon married Judy (Weber) La Combe at Grace Lutheran Church. The couple was introduced by a mutual friend and their first date was at the Question Mark Lounge in downtown Kenosha. When asked to retell the story of how they met by their children, Gordon always said “oh she was way out of my league”, but Judy reported that he was the smartest and most interesting man she had ever met. Little did they know at the time, they would go on to enjoy 50 years of wedded bliss.
As a son of a WWll veteran, Gordon always held a deep respect for the military. He served his country by joining the Wisconsin National Guard, completing his basic training in Oklahoma. Later, he was a member of the Air Force Reserve.
Gordon was a vivacious man with a wonderful sense of humor. He loved talking to and learning from everyone—friends and strangers. He worked on crossword puzzles every morning to keep his brain sharp. He enjoyed playing competitive games of scrabble with his sisters during family get togethers, and over the years, many eyes have rolled over the telling of his puns. These personality traits, along with his talent in drawing and photography led to his long career in newspaper advertising sales, including employment at the Kenosha News and Waukegan News Sun.
Undoubtedly, Gordon’s most passionate hobby was airplanes. If he heard a small airplane fly over the house, he would look up and identify it, or the owner, and always have something insightful to say. His lifelong interest in aviation began when he was young, and he was one of the earliest members of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). He was proud to say he had attended every annual EAA convention. During the 1970’s Gordon had a booth at Oshkosh, creating personalized sketches of pilots’ small planes. He had a vast knowledge of most aspects of aviation, and was considered to be a WWll aviation historian. One of his favorite pastimes was spending weekends at the Kenosha Airport with his “pilot buddies”. He was also a member of the Midwest Antique Aircraft Club (MAAC) and rarely missed the Grass Roots Fly-in held in Brodhead. Later in life, he gained a new appreciation for ultralights and enjoyed spending sunny summer days at the “pig farm” aka Winfield Airport in Bristol.
An avid reader of many genres, Gordon liked to be surrounded by books, magazines, and newspapers. He had an impressive personal collection and spent many hours at the library. For the past several years, he volunteered for the “Friends of the Library” book sales.
Gordon and his wife took every opportunity they could to travel. They visited their son in California many times, and their daughter in France and England. Perhaps their favorite trips were the many weekend road trips they took around the midwest exploring small towns and stopping at every library and little airport along the way.
For the past nine years, Gordon did not have much time to travel as he was busy caring for his grandson Liam - teaching him old cowboy lingo and looney toons quotes and encouraging his own artistic talent.
Gordon’s own curiosity for life was passed on to all who knew and loved him, especially his family. He is survived by his wife Judy; son Douglas La Combe, daughter Elizabeth La Combe; and grandson Liam Engel. He is further survived by his sisters Eve Kropp, Julie (Dave) Hird, Janet La Combe, and Margaret (Steve) Koller. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law Peggy (Larry) Moreland, Sally Weber Bowman, and Jean (Armando) Orellana; as well as many loving nieces and nephews.
Due to current health concerns, the memorial service for Gordon will be private. A larger celebration of Gordon’s life will be held in the summer. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the family to be used toward funding an EAA Youth Education Scholarship or a contribution to a charity of your choice.
Proko Funeral Home & Crematory
5111-60th Street
Kenosha, WI 53144
Phone: (262) 654-3533
Visit & Sign Gordon’s
Online Memorial Book at:
www.prokofuneralhome.com
On December 19, 1970, Gordon married Judy (Weber) La Combe at Grace Lutheran Church. The couple was introduced by a mutual friend and their first date was at the Question Mark Lounge in downtown Kenosha. When asked to retell the story of how they met by their children, Gordon always said “oh she was way out of my league”, but Judy reported that he was the smartest and most interesting man she had ever met. Little did they know at the time, they would go on to enjoy 50 years of wedded bliss.
As a son of a WWll veteran, Gordon always held a deep respect for the military. He served his country by joining the Wisconsin National Guard, completing his basic training in Oklahoma. Later, he was a member of the Air Force Reserve.
Gordon was a vivacious man with a wonderful sense of humor. He loved talking to and learning from everyone—friends and strangers. He worked on crossword puzzles every morning to keep his brain sharp. He enjoyed playing competitive games of scrabble with his sisters during family get togethers, and over the years, many eyes have rolled over the telling of his puns. These personality traits, along with his talent in drawing and photography led to his long career in newspaper advertising sales, including employment at the Kenosha News and Waukegan News Sun.
Undoubtedly, Gordon’s most passionate hobby was airplanes. If he heard a small airplane fly over the house, he would look up and identify it, or the owner, and always have something insightful to say. His lifelong interest in aviation began when he was young, and he was one of the earliest members of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). He was proud to say he had attended every annual EAA convention. During the 1970’s Gordon had a booth at Oshkosh, creating personalized sketches of pilots’ small planes. He had a vast knowledge of most aspects of aviation, and was considered to be a WWll aviation historian. One of his favorite pastimes was spending weekends at the Kenosha Airport with his “pilot buddies”. He was also a member of the Midwest Antique Aircraft Club (MAAC) and rarely missed the Grass Roots Fly-in held in Brodhead. Later in life, he gained a new appreciation for ultralights and enjoyed spending sunny summer days at the “pig farm” aka Winfield Airport in Bristol.
An avid reader of many genres, Gordon liked to be surrounded by books, magazines, and newspapers. He had an impressive personal collection and spent many hours at the library. For the past several years, he volunteered for the “Friends of the Library” book sales.
Gordon and his wife took every opportunity they could to travel. They visited their son in California many times, and their daughter in France and England. Perhaps their favorite trips were the many weekend road trips they took around the midwest exploring small towns and stopping at every library and little airport along the way.
For the past nine years, Gordon did not have much time to travel as he was busy caring for his grandson Liam - teaching him old cowboy lingo and looney toons quotes and encouraging his own artistic talent.
Gordon’s own curiosity for life was passed on to all who knew and loved him, especially his family. He is survived by his wife Judy; son Douglas La Combe, daughter Elizabeth La Combe; and grandson Liam Engel. He is further survived by his sisters Eve Kropp, Julie (Dave) Hird, Janet La Combe, and Margaret (Steve) Koller. He is also survived by his sisters-in-law Peggy (Larry) Moreland, Sally Weber Bowman, and Jean (Armando) Orellana; as well as many loving nieces and nephews.
Due to current health concerns, the memorial service for Gordon will be private. A larger celebration of Gordon’s life will be held in the summer. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the family to be used toward funding an EAA Youth Education Scholarship or a contribution to a charity of your choice.
Proko Funeral Home & Crematory
5111-60th Street
Kenosha, WI 53144
Phone: (262) 654-3533
Visit & Sign Gordon’s
Online Memorial Book at:
www.prokofuneralhome.com