Obituary of Gordon R. Dockter

Gordon Richard Dockter, of Huron Township, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, February 24th, 2021 at age 89. Gordon was born on August 21st, 1931 on the old Bishke Farm in Martin, North Dakota.  He was the eldest of three children born to Edward and Eugenia (Bender) Dockter.  The family moved to Melvindale, Michigan in 1937. Gordon enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1949 and was honorably discharged in 1952.

Gordon and Ruth Anna Cooper were married on July 11th, 1953 in Lincoln Park, Michigan.  They moved to Huron Township in March, 1959.  Gordon drove for Texaco until 1967, then Standard Oil until 1973 when he became owner and proprietor of Doc’s Standard, a service station in New Boston, until 1978.  After that, he began auto transport and later retired from Commercial Carriers.

Gordon was very active in his community and church; he was an auxiliary Huron Township police officer, volunteer firefighter with station #3 for more than 30 years, and a long standing member of New Faith Chapel.  He enjoyed gospel, big band, and traditional music, woodworking, tractor restoration, building things and puttering in his barn.

Gordon is survived by one daughter, Valerie Dockter, three grandchildren, Jared Myers of Ronan, Montana, Rawlin Myers (Janell) of Anchorage, Alaska, and Georgia Myers of Ypsilanti Michigan, and fourteen nieces and nephews. Gordon was preceded in death by his wife; parents; siblings Marilyn Abbott and Willard Dockter.  

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 6th at New Faith Chapel Huron Township at 12 p.m. Family will not be present due to COVID-19 precautions. However, the service will be streamed live on New Faith Chapel’s YouTube channel. CDC recommendations of wearing masks, hand sanitizing, maintaining social distance and staying away if ill would be greatly appreciated.  The procession to Michigan Memorial Cemetery from New Faith Chapel begins at 1p.m., led by the Huron Township Fire Department.  For those not attending the service in person, we invite you to join his family in the procession.  Please feel free to come early to the church parking lot, as arrangements have been made. The procession route will head north on Middlebelt Road, east on Sibley Road, south on Inkster Road, then west on Bredow Road for a final goodbye to the home he loved for 62 years, then onto Michigan Memorial Cemetery and the American Legion Honor Guard.  Please wait inside or near your vehicle at Michigan Memorial Cemetery after the ceremony so the family can gratefully and safely acknowledge your presence.

Cremation will take place at The On-Site Crematory located within the Molnar Funeral Homes - Brownstown Chapel.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) at www.biami.org or the Veterans Affairs (VA) of Ann Arbor at www.annarbor.va.gov.