Staff Sargent Gordon R. Breeding flew his final mission on Wednesday, June 19, and arrived at his destination of heaven at the age of 96 years, 14 days. A Christian funeral service will be held Monday, July 8, 2019 at noon at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 5005 McCandlish Rd, Grand Blanc, MI with Rev. Nathan Loersch officiating. The family will be receiving visitors one hour prior to the service. Military burial will be at 1 p.m. at Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, MI. In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make contributions in Gordon’s memory to the Building Fund for Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church, Fenton, MI; Faith Lutheran Church, Hillman, MI; Redeemer Lutheran Church, Merritt Island Florida; VA of Ann Arbor, MI; or Great Lakes Caring Hospice Foundation, Jackson, MI.  Contributions may be mailed to Brookdale/Brighton, Apt. 110, 833 E. Grand River Ave., Brighton, MI 48116. Gordie was born June 5, 1923 in Detroit MI, the son of Isaac, Jr. and Elmira (Bassett) Breeding.

He was in the 8th Air Force, 34th Bombardment Group, 18th Bombardment Squadron. ETO 22 Apr 1944 - 14 Jan 945  Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Air Offensive Europe. He flew in the Consolidated B-24 Dugan Wagon: 17 missions, Front Gunner, 12 Missions, Lead Plane. He then flew in the Boeing B-17: 10 Missions, Waist Gunner. He married Nellie Collison after basic training. After being discharged, they lived at Wolverine Lake, Michigan for 30 years, then lived in Alpena, Michigan at the Thunderbay Estates for 32 years.  He and a neighbor built a 5-mile long road to their property in Thunderbay Estates. He retired as Quality Control manager of automobile tubing in Luzerne, Michigan. 

After retirement, he loved returning snowmobiles to prime condition and was one of the original members the Antique snowmobile Club of Michigan, Rogers City, Michigan. There is a life-sized replica of him standing next to his snowmobile at the Antique Snowmobile Museum in Naubinway, Michigan.

He married Lois Freimark on September 1, 2012.  The Breedings were snowbirds for 5 years and stayed on Merritt Island, Florida where they lived full-time for a year.

Gordie built 2 1/2 foot model planes, the B-24 and the B-17, while in Florida, along with a sailable sailboat and “Little Toot” an 1/8th size of the original boat made in the early ‘80s from a Popular Mechanics plan. The Breedings moved back to Michigan in February 2019.

He is survived by his wife, Lois; daughter, Rose Mary (James) Younger; grandson, Bill (Debbie) Chute; and great-grandchildren  Laura Chute, Tiffany Chute, Michael Chute, and Tyler Chute; step-children Rhonda (Rick) Wetherington, Bruce (Nancy) Freimark, Glenn (Tobi) Freimark, Jerry Freimark, Scott (Donna) Freimark, Dennis (Dawn Flowers) Freimark and their families. Also surviving are brother David (Linda) MacKay; sisters Alice Gladding and Frances (Dr. Edward) Clinger; nephews Frank (Tsarina) McEvoy, George Gladding, Rafe Gladding, Greg (Jennifer) MacKay, and John MacKay; nieces Elizabeth (Dick) Coughlin, Barbara (Mitch Simmons) Roth, Leslie (Roger) Blanco, Sue Taylor, and Tammy (Louis) Weber. He was pre-deceased by his wife Nellie, parents, step-father John MacKay, and brother Hugh MacKay.