It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father, brother, uncle, partner and friend, Gordon Gathercole. Gord was born in Vancouver, B.C. on Sept. 27, 1952 to father William (Bill) Gathercole and mother Helen Gathercole (née King). He passed away from cancer on Feb. 3, 2026 at McKenney Creek Hospice in Maple Ridge, B.C. He was 73. 

Gord was a bright light in the world, remembered for his kindness, calm leadership, strong work ethic, great sense of humour, big smile and twinkling eyes, and ability to strike up friendships with just about anyone. He always lived from his heart and was never afraid to say “I love you” or “tons of love,” even to his crews at work. 

He is survived by his daughters, Miranda (Ryan), Sierra and their mother, Cheryl, brothers, Larry (Jacquie) and Jim (Alison), nephew, Shane (Rachel), nieces, Robyn (Scott) and Jennifer (Steve), great nieces, Grace, Jozie and Quincy, great nephew, Maddox (Taya), former spouse, Julie, and several close friends. He is predeceased by his parents and his niece, Laura.  

Better known by friends and family as Gordie, Gator or Gates, Gord was the youngest of three brothers. His family moved to Kamloops in 1955, and he grew up skiing Tod Mountain (now Sun Peaks) and playing in abandoned WW2 aircraft at the Kamloops airport, sparking a lifelong passion for aircraft and military history. After high school, he worked different jobs in the region, including for CP Rail and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways, before moving to the Lower Mainland to attend BCIT for ironworking. 

He was always very proud of his education and often joked that he survived school off of macaroni and canned tuna. He graduated in the midst of an economic downturn when no students were being hired. Despite the bleak job market, he was determined to find work, and walked around Vancouver until he found a construction crew putting up rebar for the Sylvia Hotel renovation. He walked right on site and asked for a job. That gumption launched his impressive career as an ironworker and Superintendent in construction, which took him on projects across North America. 

His projects included hydroelectric dams in the Kootenays and Toba Inlet, major energy infrastructure like the White Rose Project in Newfoundland and Cove Point LNG Terminal in Maryland, impressive buildings like the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and many, many bridges. Some of his fondest projects were building the Whalley Guideway for the SkyTrain Expo Line, installing the red cladding at the top of the SkyTrain SkyBridge, and overseeing the cable installation on the new Port Mann Bridge. 

While work was an incredible achievement for him, he always cherished his family and friends. He loved spending time with his daughters, catching up with friends from around the world, and travelling. Over the years, he called many different towns home, including Spruce Grove, Alta. where he lived for almost 20 years. He leaves behind many good friends there.

In his retirement, he returned to his childhood passion for airplanes and became a dedicated volunteer at the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley. He also loved to dance and was a regular at Uptown Swing nights in New Westminster. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 360 Nicola St., Kamloops, B.C. The service will be live-streamed on the St. Paul’s Cathedral Facebook page. A reception will follow at Match Eatery, 1555 Versatile Dr.

In lieu of flowers, he would be honoured to have a donation made to the Canadian Museum of Flight at https://canadianmuseumofflight.ca/donate-to-museum/