Obituary of Gordon William McKane

LATHAM - Gordon W. McKane, 88, of Latham passed away on Monday, March 3, 2025 with his wife of more than 50 years, Aimee McKane, at his side. 

Gordon was an intelligent, very tall, kind, and gentle man with a lovely baritone voice, restless creative spirit, robust sense of humor, and a lifelong love of learning and languages. He quietly persevered through decades of health challenges that left him physically disabled while he remained committed to caring for others. He enjoyed cartooning, camping, playing with his nieces and nephews, woodworking design, and classic jazz. He loved birds and animals, most especially his dog, Roo. Gordon also enjoyed diners - notably Latham 76, often leaving a topical cartoon sketched on an overturned placemat after his meal.

Born in Buffalo to the late Irene and William McKane, Gordon enlisted in the Navy at age 17 for the adventure of his life.  During his service from 1954 to 1958, Gordon was deployed to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze I (1955-56),  tasked with building the first US research station on the ice.  After his service, he graduated from SUNY-Geneseo and became a certified teacher. He spent most of his career with the State of New York in positions serving the developmentally disabled and mentally ill, always seeking innovative solutions to improve their lives. He retired from NYS OMRDD and later worked as an ESL volunteer. 

In addition to his wife, Gordon is survived by his brother Robert McKane and nephew Scott (Cristina) McKane of Salt Lake City, UT; niece Stacy McKane of Las Vegas, NV; nephew Jeffrey (Holly) McKane of McKinney, TX and 8 great-nephews and nieces. He was close with several of his wife’s relations, especially his sister-in-law Joanne (David) Williams of Lake Placid, NY.  In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by his brother David McKane and sister-in-law Nancy McKane. 

Gordon’s family would like to thank John Knauer of Right at Home for his exceptional kindness, care, and support during the last four years of Gordon’s life.

Friends and relatives are invited to attend the visitation from 1-3 pm, Monday, March 17th at The Dufresne & Cavanaugh Funeral Home, 149 Old Loudon Rd, Latham, NY. A brief service will conclude the visitation. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Mohawk-Hudson Humane Society by visiting https://www.mohawkhumane.org/.

A celebration of Gordon's Life will be held on Monday, May 5th from 4-9pm @ Latham 76 Diner

*Please RSVP to Aimee at atmckane@manage4energy.com