Gordon (Gordy) James Britton Jr. passed away at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth on July 5, 2025 at the age of 86 years. Gordy was born on April 7, 1939 in Sandstone, MN the younger of two children of Gordon Sr. and Irene (Ubl) Britton. Gordy graduated from Sandstone High School in 1957. Following high school, Gordy worked several jobs before starting a job with the State of Minnesota Highway Department. Gordy then enlisted in the Army and served two years before he had to leave due to family hardship, but remained in the Army National Guard for several years. Following active duty, Gordy returned to the Highway Department in the Materials and Research division.

Gordy married Judy (Wathen) in 1965 and they had one child, Sherry. They moved from Minneapolis to rural Hinckley near Grindstone Lake in 1970 when Gordy started working at FCI-Sandstone, then moved to a new home in Sandstone in 1973 where he lived out his life. Following retirement from the FCI in 1993 after 22 years of employment, Gordy worked several jobs that fell in line with things he enjoyed working at a hardware store and doing maintenance at a local restaurant where his favorite part was plowing snow. He also worked for several years at Grand Casino Hinckley Hotel as the manager of the laundry.

Gordy loved his fast cars and Jeeps. In 1965 he was the first to purchase a brand new 1965 CJ-5 cast iron V-6 with 90-degree fire and a 6' snowplow. It was this purchase at a dealership in St. Louis Park that connected him with a group of guys who would later form the Minnesota Go 4 Wheelers, the oldest organized 4WD club in Minnesota. Gordy shared tales of many adventures of jeep rallys and driving places where no vehicles should travel.

After moving to Sandstone, Gordy took up flying, woodworking, and restoring Jeeps. One of his jeep buddies became a life-long friend and the two of them would travel the states in pursuit of parts and camaraderie. Everything Gordy did, he did with precision and took meticulous care of things. He always kept a stack of quarters for the car wash, changed oil more frequently than most, neatly stacked and stored his shop rags, the brushes he used for staining lasted forever, his checkbook was always balanced, everything was in its place, and he never let his crew cut get too long. He enjoyed feeding the deer in the back yard each winter and would never turn away any stray Sherry brought home.

Gordy was a Maser Mason since 1975 and member of the Sandstone Lodge #234. He took pride in the values of Freemasonry. Gordy was a kind and generous man. He was overall positive, not judgmental of others, and if he didn't have anything good to say, he wouldn't say anything at all. He enjoyed his toys but lived simply. He always knew things his grandkids liked and kept them supplied, frequently driving out to deliver a bag of Cuties, a pineapple, some blueberries, or a jar of maraschino cherries.

Gordy is preceded in death by his wife, Judy, parents Gordon Sr. and Irene, and sister Anne and brother-in-law Richard Eichhorn. He will be missed by his daughter, Sherry (Bryan) Johnson, grandsons Bart and Ben Johnson, and great-grandson, Jude Johnson.

A private burial is being planned for a later date.

Arrangements by Methven Funeral and Cremation services of Sandstone, MN.