Gordon Burton

Gordon Frank Burton
November 7, 1931  -  June 27, 2026

A joint memorial service to be held for Dorothy and Gordon at McDougall United Church on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 2:30 p.m.

Obituary

Gordon Burton, beloved husband of Dorothy Burton of Calgary, AB, passed away on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at the age of 94, just one week after his wife of 65 years.

Gordon was born in the Vanguard Hospital in Saskatchewan on November 7, 1931, to Ralph and Rosie Burton. He grew up in a 12' × 16' homestead house, which didn’t have running water until the 1950s. He was an only child, so he did not have siblings to play with or share the chores, of which there were many. Years later, Gordon designed a house for his parents that was built across the yard, and it had all the modern amenities, including indoor washrooms, running water, and electricity.

In 1937, Gordon’s parents decided it was time to go to school. He attended the Burton School (named after his Uncle Fred) until Grade Nine, then had to make the four-mile trek into Vanguard, SK, for high school. He applied for his driver’s licence the day after his sixteenth birthday at the post office. From then on, he drove a 1936 Chevy to school. He completed Grade twelve with high enough marks to get into the two-year Aeromechanics course at SAIT in Calgary, AB. For the first time, he really enjoyed school, finding subjects that were interesting and taught by knowledgeable instructors. He found that he was good at math and drafting, so he transferred to the Aeronautical Engineering course in Year Two. He was the only one in the class who held a pilot’s license, which made an impression on the “city” fellows.

His lifelong love of flying began in the summer of 1939 when a rodeo was being hosted on his grandfather’s farm, and a small high-wing airplane was taking people for rides. Gordon was thrilled when his grandfather arranged for him to go for a ride. It was a short flight, but it was then that he knew he was going to be a pilot. In 1949, he did his first solo flight, and just after he turned seventeen, he earned his private pilot’s license. He did aspire to be a commercial airline pilot, but when he applied, he was denied due to his astigmatism.

For someone who had grown up on the prairies, the mountains he first saw on his move to Calgary captured his imagination. He maintained a love for mountain activities of all kinds throughout his life.

After graduating from SAIT, Gordon worked on the CF-100 fighter for A.V. Roe in Toronto, ON, in the hydraulics division. When the Avro Arrow aircraft was cancelled, he returned to Saskatchewan to work with his dad on his dirt moving business. The mountains kept calling him back, and he returned to Calgary in 1955 to find a job as a draftsman. A colleague introduced him to skiing and rock climbing, and Gordon ventured to the mountains most Saturdays to Norquay or Sunshine Village to ski. In the summers, he rock climbed and worked toward membership in the Alpine Club of Canada. It was about this time that he met Dorothy at a Young People’s Group dance at Knox United Church, so the priorities changed for the weekends. His last true rock climb was Mount Norquay, starting at the base from the highway. It was the weekend before he left for PEI to marry Dorothy. The picture of this was taken by Glen Boles and later painted by Dorothy.

Gordon and Dorothy married in June 1961 in Mount Stewart, PEI. Their honeymoon consisted of a week-long cross-Canada drive back to Calgary in Gordon’s MG sports car. They made their home in Calgary, working and starting a family. Gordon worked in utilities and oilfield-related engineering and sales for 40 years. His love of flying continued, renting and later owning a Cessna 150 and then a 170. Gordon flew to Vanguard on a few trips, to PEI to visit the Coffin family, and to Whitehorse to visit Holly. Dorothy and Gordon continued to be drawn to the mountains, hiking, camping, downhill skiing, and cross-country skiing.

The United Church provided a wonderful community for Gordon to participate in. Over the years, he was actively involved as a Boy Scout leader, a lead volunteer with Inn from the Cold, a member of the McDougall’s Men’s Club, and a member of the church choir.

His final few years were challenging as he never fully recovered from a fall he took in January of 2022, resulting in both he and Dorothy moving into assisted living. Thankfully, they were eventually relocated to the same facility in SE Calgary, so he could roll up in his wheelchair to her floor and spend time holding her hand.

Gordon is survived by his sons, Mitchell (Michelle) of Coquitlam, BC, and Andrew of Steveston, BC; his daughter Holly Burton (Bob Boychuk) of Calgary, AB, his grandchildren, Christopher, Michael, Alexandra, and Tessa; and his great-grandchildren, Adelaide and Hugo; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

He was predeceased by his wife Dorothy just seven days earlier, and his parents, Ralph and Rosie Burton.

Gordon’s family would like to thank the staff of the Providence Care Centre Ashwood unit for their wonderful care of our father.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the McDougall United Church Scholarship Fund, www.mcdunited.com/memorial-scholarship-fund.