Obituary of George W. Gildersleeve

George Walter Gildersleeve of Portland, Oregon, died peacefully in his sleep on April 24, 2019, in the presence of his family. He is survived by his wife, Leona Gildersleeve, his first wife Kaethe Worcester, his brother Charles (Chuck) Gildersleeve, sister Joan (Gildersleeve) Staab, his children Christina Gildersleeve-Neumann, Walter Gildersleeve and Alison Gildersleeve, and his grandchildren Isabella, Gannon, Simona, Elijah, Eric and Louis. He was 84 years old. Born in Lewiston, Idaho on April 5th, 1935, to Edith (Margaretha) (Raatz) Gildersleeve and Walter Allen Gildersleeve, he was the middle child of three. George’s father, a Standard Oil Distributor, moved his family to Baker City, Oregon when George was five. He would spend much of his early life in and around Baker County. George attended Baker High School, where he was active in various sports. After graduating in 1953 and a short stint in semi-pro baseball, he enrolled in the University of Oregon’s ROTC program. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. George entered the Air Force after earning his degree in history in 1958. He was stationed in Germany for most of his four-year Air Force career, where he met his first wife, Kaethe. After marrying in Germany, the couple moved back to Baker City, where he worked with his father in the oil distribution business. Having met in Portland while working for the State of Oregon, Leona and George were married in 1988 in Portland. They lived in both Cove and Ontario, Oregon, before moving back to the Willamette Valley in 2000. The couple moved to Southwest Portland after spending several years in Salem. George loved nothing more than to spend his evenings observing Portland goings-on from his living room overlooking the city. Although his passions were many, none were greater than photography, with a close second in genealogy. He was a photographer his entire life, his 35 mm SLR his constant companion. He especially excelled at nature and landscape photography. And although his passion was never his profession, his beautiful portraits of nature gained him a following on Facebook. Baker City and County photos of his are available through the Baker County Historical Society website. Additionally, George donated his “Paint Your Wagon” photos and slides to the Oregon Historical Society. His outgoing nature, his ability to engage anyone in conversation, and his lifelong thirst for knowledge were remarkable. He always had a soft spot in his heart for Veterans and the disadvantaged. He will be missed. A Memorial Service is planned for August 7, 2019 at 10:30 at Willamette National Cemetery. Family request that in lieu of flowers, please consider remembrances to Street Roots, a local weekly Newspaper, addressing homelessness and poverty since 1988, the Alzheimer's Association or the charity of your choice.