RAPID CITY- Gordon Bennett Lease, 93, passed away October 30, 2017 at the VA Medical Center in Ft. Meade, SD.

He was born to Richard M. and Grace (Bennett) Lease at home in Los Angeles, CA on March 10, 1924.

Gordon was a senior at John Marshall High School when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941. He enlisted in the US Coast Guard the next day and was sworn in on December 22nd. He was initially assigned to the USCG Patrol Base in San Pedro, CA. In February 1942, Gordon graduated early from high school and was transferred to Santa Barbara, CA where for the next year he served on a USCG picket boat. A year later he was assigned to the US Navy Amphibious forces aboard the USS LST-381 in the European Theater of Operations. His ship participated in the invasions of Salerno, Italy in September 1943, and Anzio, Italy in January 1944. In June 1944, they evacuated wounded soldiers and prisoners of war from Normandy, France to the United Kingdom. He was awarded a commendation medal for each invasion and was appointed to the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by France in 2013.

Following WWII he worked for 11 years as a water treatment operator for the city of Los Angeles. In July 1947 he met Georgia Marie Merry at a Tommy Dorsey concert. He proposed a week later and they were married February 9th, 1948 in Los Angeles. They had 3 children in southern California and in 1956, moved to northern California where Gordon was a Sherwin-Williams Co. branch manager. In November 1963, the family moved to Rapid City, SD where Gordon was employed for 18 years at Ellsworth AFB. In 1963, they became members of First Baptist Church of Rapid City, devoting many years to the church family that they loved for the rest of their lives.

Gordon was preceded in death by his parents; brother Richard Jr.; daughter Claudia Simpson, a victim of the 1972 flood; a great-grandson, Bennett Witt; and his wife Georgia.

He is survived by his daughter, Susan Mudlin of Sioux Falls; his son, Boyd (Janice) Lease of Melbourne, Florida; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held at the Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home on Saturday, November 4th, from 9:30-11:00 AM. Service will be held at the First Baptist Church, 707 St Patrick St, Rapid City SD at 1:30 on Saturday, November 4th.

A memorial fund has been established at First Baptist Church.