Gordon K. Trainor, 91, died on Monday, June 13, at home with his family.
Born on September 17, 1930, in Borden, IN, he was the eldest child of Merle and Edna (Blackman) Trainor of New Providence (Borden), IN.
Survivors include his beloved wife, the former Bonnie June Callahan, whom he married on June 29, 1956, in Borden; a daughter, Amanda, of Indianapolis; IN, and a son, John, of New Pekin, IN. Three grandchildren also survive Stephen Barbera of Indianapolis, Chelsea, and Marisa Trainor of Texas. Two nephews and a niece; one first cousin; and one sister-in-law also survive as does an adopted Chinese-speaking member of the family, Shih “Buddy” Tzu.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger siblings—Gene W. Trainor; Patricia “Pat” M. Woodward; and Norman L. Trainor, Ed. D.
He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in November 1950 during the Korean War. Later, several security clearances were granted in March 1951, and he was transferred to a unique and fascinating branch of the U.S. Air Force—the Armed Forces Special Weapons Command (AFSWC)—which was a military arm of the Manhattan Project. His first duty station was in New Mexico at Sandia Base.
He was a retired civil works estimator/project manager at the Corps of Engineers, in Louisville, KY, for 32 years. In August 1958, he became a member of the Borden Lions Club and continued with his Lions International membership for over 60 years. He was a Charter Member of the old Borden Institute Historical Society and was a member of the American Legion, Post 203.
He also donated 99 pints of blood at various local Red Cross Centers until medical conditions curtailed that activity. He and others grew grain and forage on a farm in his family for over a century.
After two flood disasters occurred in 1961 on Muddy Fork Creek, he became a member of a steering committee that started working on the Muddy Fork persistent flooding problems in Clark County, IN. That work led to a Federal/State/local project that is now known as the Muddy Fork of Silver Creek Small Watershed Project. He also was a former Vice Chairman/Supervisor of the Clark County Soil and Water Conservation District.
He was a member of the Christian faith and occasionally dabbled in the muddy waters of genealogy—sieving away a few golden nuggets of data into modest 14,000-name family history.
While he and June were not globing travelers, they had driven somewhere in each of the 50 States—including Washington D.C.—and many of the Canadian Provinces including Hwy. 37 BC, the entire Alaska Highway, and the Fairbanks/Dawson City routes.
The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses, and others of the Baptist Health/Floyd Hospital staff for their medical and care services to him over the years and Hosparus of Southern Indiana for his final care.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 18, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Hughes-Taylor Funeral Home-Borden Chapel.
Visitation will be held Friday, June 17, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home. Burial to be at the Walnut Hill Cemetery at Borden with Dr. Jeremy W. Goen officiating.
Arrangements: In lieu of flowers, he had asked that any monetized gifts be donated to the Friends of the Borden Community Park.
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