Dec. 17, 1958 – Aug. 28, 2014
John Elwin Gourley, 55, of Foster died Aug. 28, 2014.
He was born Dec. 17, 1958 in Lebanon to Jack Elwin and Betty Beatrice (Taylor) Gourley.
He attended schools in Cascadia, Foster and Sweet Home and
graduated from Sweet Home High School. He continued his education and earned a bachelor of science degree at Oregon State University.
Mr. Gourley lived most of his life in the Foster area, though he also lived in Fallon and Winnemucca,
Nev., Forks and Marysville, Wash., and in Joseph, Albany and Salem.
After high school he worked for his parents at G-2 Electric, building, installing and computerizing lumber mills in the Willamette Valley, eastern Oregon and Washington. He worked as a millwright at Willamette Industries Foster Division and as an electrician at TOMCO in Cascadia. For a couple of years he was in charge of keeping the Falls Creek water turbine power plant above Cascadia running. Mr. Gourley was an electrical engineer at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada and also at Nellis
Air Force Base in Las Vegas. He designed a fuel-efficient car and had patents on his design. He was offered a professorship at OSU to teach classes about his fuel-saving car.
Mr. Gourley enjoyed working with youth and was a Scoutmaster many years for Troop 395.
He also led training at many District Roundtables and Wood Badge events. He received the
Calapooia District Award of Merit and the Scoutmaster Presidential Award.
He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a mission and in many auxiliaries of the church.
Mr. Gourley enjoyed being outdoors, hunting and fishing, boating, and making intricate models of cars and jets and loved cooking, traveling and being at the coast.
He was very proud of his children and loved each of them
unconditionally.
Mr. Gourley is survived by his daughters, Betty Gourley of
Marysville, Wash., Suzanne Gutierrez of Tulalip, Wash., Beth Gourley
of Salem, Natasha Medina of Coquille, and Amanda Shatto of Portland; sons
Bobby Gourley, Johnny Gourley and Jared Gourley, all of the Marysville, Wash. area, and Shawn Shatto of Japan; ex-wives Debbie Gourley and Jan Gourley; his
mother, Betty Gourley of Foster; brothers Larry and sister-in-law Patty Gourley of Albany and Robert and sister-in-law Natalia Gourley of Foster; sister Jeanette and brother-in-law Guy Graves of Foster; 18 grandchildren; five uncles; seven aunts; many cousins, nieces and nephews; and best friends Jim Gourley, Art Funk and Scott Wartena, all of Sweet Home.
He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Gourley (2011); sister Cheryl Gourley (1957); five uncles and two aunts.
A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweet Home.
Contributions in his name may be made to the missionary fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.