Gordy, Paul, 1922-2016

Dates

• Existence: April 15, 1922 - February 7, 2016
• Usage: April 15, 1922 - February 7, 2016

Biography

Paul Gordy was born April 15, 1922, in Cusseta, GA, to Curt and Verna Gordy. In 1925, his family moved to Florida and settled in Gainesville, FL. Gordy graduated high school and then began college at the University of Florida. In 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Force where he was trained as a B-17 Pilot, eventually rising to the rank of second lieutenant in the 8th Air Force with the 384th Heavy Bombardment Group based in England. In July 1943, Paul Gordy was shot down and taken prisoner while returning from a mission over Kiel, Germany, ending up in the North Sea in a raft with other US Airmen. Eventually, Paul was taken prisoner by the Germans to Stalag Luft III at Sagan, Germany. This POW camp was made famous in the movie "The Great Escape." 

Paul returned to the US in 1945 and entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He boxed in the bantam weight division while at UNC and graduated in 1947. After graduating, Gordy moved to Chipley in 1948 where he met his wife, Ann Sheppard, and the couple had two kids. Paul and his brother Leonard owned Gordy Milling Company for many years and eventually combined with the Dixie Lily Company. Paul also worked as a salesman for McCormick & Company and was named Salesman of the Year by the company in 1973. Mr. Gordy was invovled in the Chipley First United Methodist Church and volunteered with the Panhandle Area Education Consortium where he collected oral histories of veterans. He was known as the "Voice of the Tigers" to many, announcing CHS Tiger football games from 1951 to 1991. Gordy passed on February 7, 2016.

Obituary available at: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/paul-gordy-obituary?pid=177672048.

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