Gordon Cowdrey (78) passed away on Oct. 15 after a nearly five-year-long battle with prostate cancer. He was born in Hanover, N.H., to Jennie Hull Cowdrey and Eldred Myron Cowdrey. Through a dear friend, Gordon Barbour, he met the love of his life, Sally Brown, whom he married on Jan. 30, 1977. In the fall of 1977, their son Daniel Gordon was born. Their daughter Lisa Marie came nearly four years later. They later moved to Hartland, where they built a beautiful life together.
Gordon was predeceased by Sally, his parents Jennie and Eldred Cowdrey, and his sister Dorothy Cowdrey. He is survived by his son Daniel, his daughter Lisa and son-in-law John Butson III; his four grandchildren: Derek, Shyla, Shane, and Adeline; his brothers and sisters: Charles Cowdrey, David Cowdrey, Donna Hodgdon, and Mary Becker; and his sister-in-law Sherry Barbour who was his companion and his devoted caregiver during his many ups and downs throughout the last few years.
Gordon took great pride in being a very hardworking man and a provider for his family. He went to work at a young age and worked until he physically could no longer work in November 2024. He spent time working on the Cowdrey family farm, and then went to work with Eric Wood on his farm in Pomfret. He spent a lot of time with Eric pulling horses and also competing at the fairs–a cherished memory for him. He and Eric also hunted and found a love for snowmobiling. He later worked for Summarsell doing excavation work, and then worked as a truck driver at TriState, Rowlee Farm Trucking, FSI Trucking, and Miller Construction. In the ‘90s, he ventured out on his own and started Shadow Valley Trucking, where he owned and operated a logging truck. He was most recently employed by D&D Excavation, where he was the loader operator in the gravel pit for the last several years. Working kept him going and gave him purpose. He enjoyed his coworkers at the pit and made very special connections with them.
Gordie and Sally built a beautiful little home in the country and enjoyed keeping many animals over the years. Gordie had very special connections with animals, including his pets, his farm animals, and the wild animals that he enjoyed having on his property. He especially loved his dogs and his beloved cat Clyde, who stayed by his side. Gordie was a woodsman and was often found working the land in one way or another. He spent lots of hours cutting and splitting wood, working his tractor, running his saw mill, and improving his land in one way or another.
Gordie enjoyed many different motorsport hobbies. In the ’90s, he took a chance on owning a race car, a VW Rabbit that his nephew Allan drove. The whole family spent every Saturday night at the track, making memories and experiencing the thrills of racing. In 2019, Gordie discovered a new passion for garden tractor pulling. As the years went by, he acquired a fleet of very competitive tractors and brought home many trophies. He enjoyed competing with his grandchildren the most; many great memories and special friendships were made. In 2025, he purchased his own 1941 Buick hotrod. Although he was not able to drive it much, it brought him a lot of joy and satisfaction knowing he had checked that off his bucket list.
We welcome family and friends to join us for a graveside service on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. at the Brownsville Cemetery. The service will be followed by a gathering at the Brownsville Community Church basement to share memories and stories while enjoying some refreshments. An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.
