Obituary of Gordon Alfred James Jenner

Gordon Jenner passed away peacefully at the Foothills Hospital on Sunday, May 17, 2020 at the age of 76 years. He is survived by his loving wife, Louanne; daughters, Sherilen (Darrel DeCorby) and Corianne (Alan Irving); brother, David (Dian); sisters, Betty (Al Paananen) and Valerie (Bob Holmes, predeceased); brother-in-law, Bob Graham and his son, Matthew; as well as many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his granddaughter, Edie. Gordon was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and he and his family moved to Calgary in 1957. Gordon had many interests, with an exceptional interest in drag racing. His drag racing career started early, when at 15 he “borrowed” his father’s company car to enter the Stock Eliminations race. His parents were out of town for the weekend when Gord, driving the company sedan, won his class and finished runner up for the category finals. He was hooked, and drag racing became his second career and lifelong passion. Gord was involved professionally in racing in the late 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s, competing in Canada and throughout the United States. He moved up the racing ranks to AA Nitro Dragsters then Funny Cars, moving to California to race for a time and eventually settling back in Alberta after multiple successes in the national arena. His racing career culminated with him being inducted to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2017. Gordon married Louanne in 1970 and in the mid-seventies put racing on the back burner and settled down to family life. Gord enjoyed a long and successful career with the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC). He retired in 1999 having made many lifelong friends. Gordon was a big kid at heart, always being the first to try new things and bringing home new toys and gadgets for the family. Gord’s love of driving led to years of family road trips throughout Western Canada and the United States. He loved motorcycles, playing golf, and was a big hockey fan. Gordon was a longtime season ticket holder to the Calgary Flames before and after their cup year. He loved trying new foods and restaurants, often driving great distances for the best ice cream or to bring a mud-pie home for the family. Gord loved animals, frequently being forced to adopt stray cats that his daughters and wife brought home. In 1993, he and Louanne purchased a condo in Scottsdale, AZ, and upon his retirement in 1999 he became a “snowbird”, wintering in Arizona, where he continued to golf and dove back into the drag racing community. Gord and Louanne movied to Sylvan Lake in 2007, building their dream home and enjoying the slower pace of a lakeside town. They returned to Calgary in 2013 to be closer to family and medical services. He was a big guy with a big heart and had a great life. He will be deeply missed by his large circle of family and friends. In accordance with the provincial guidelines regarding COVID-19, there will not be a funeral scheduled at this time. The family will plan a memorial at a future date. If anyone wants to commemorate Gordon’s life, please consider making a donation to an animal rescue charity of your choice.