GORDON, Colleen Mary

Today's News-Herald, Lake Havasu City, Arizona Published Sunday, February 28, 2010 Colleen Mary Gordon left to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Feb. 17, 2010 in Las Vegas, with her loving family in attendance at her side. Colleen was born in July 19, 1953 in Bertha, Minn., to William and Mary Cluka. Her family, including her two brothers and three sisters, spent time living in both Chester and Conrad, Mont., before settling in Columbia Falls, Mont., around 1965. Colleen graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1971. In 1976, she married Richard Gordon, of Whitefish, Mont. In 1977, Colleen gave birth to her son and only child, Jesse. Colleen relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1978. During her time in Salt Lake, she briefly remarried, attained an associate level business degree and became a small business owner. In the early 1990s, Colleen and her partner, Dennis David, moved to Lake Havasu City to start a new business of their own. Colleen and Dennis were the owner-operators of Petrossi’s Pizza in Lake Havasu City for nearly 18 years and, in that time, made many friends with both the locals and the seasonal snowbirds that visited every year. Colleen loved spending her time with friends and family and was an incredibly social person. She was an avid wine connoisseur, loved planting flowers year-round and always enjoyed a good book. Colleen also took great pleasure in music. One of Colleen’s greatest joys was the time spent with her niece, Jamie and Jamie’s son, Ayden. Although Colleen was Ayden’s great-aunt, in Ayden’s eyes, she was like a grandmother and she showered him with both the love and affection afforded a grandson. She will be missed in ways that cannot be expressed in words. Colleen is preceded in death by her parents, William “Bob” Cluka and Mary Cluka; and brother-in-law, Larry Brown. Colleen is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jesse and Jamison Gordon, of Olympia, Wash.; siblings, Yvonne Corbett and Jim Corbett, Donald and Cozy Cluka, and Ben Cluka and Michelle Price, all of Kalispell, Mont.; Donna Hasson and Wayne Wick, of Whitefish Mont., Carol Cluka-Long, of Lake Havasu City; partner, Dennis David, of Lake Havasu City; as well as 10 nephews and nieces, and nine grand-nephews and grand-nieces. Colleen’s ashes will be interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls, Mont., at a future date.