The Rev. Robert G. Van Gorder, age 93, a resident of Covenant Living, Cromwell, died at Middlesex Memorial Hospital following a recent illness. He was a retired United Church of Christ pastor. He was born in Peking, China on Jan. 5, 1927, the son of Dr. George W. Van Gorder and Helen Goforth Van Gorder, who were on the staff of Peking Union Medical College at the time. He graduated from Williams College in 1950 and Union Theological Seminary, New York City, in 1953, and was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.
Ordained in 1954, the Rev. Robert “Bob” Van Gorder served the following churches: The Old South Congregational Church of Farmington, Maine, from 1954 to 1959, the Federated Community Church of Hampden, Massachusetts, from 1959 to 1969, and the First Congregational Church of Westbrook from 1969 to 1991. As an expression of their appreciation for his ministry, the members of the Westbrook Church honored him with the title “Pastor Emeritus”.
In the communities where Rev. Van Gorder served, he was active in supporting a variety of programs. They included Literacy Volunteers, Planned Parenthood, Alcoholics Anonymous, and the resettlement of several refugee families, and he directed several health organizations such as the Westbrook Public Health Advisory Committee and the Westbrook Mental Health Day Care Center, which later became Gateway Counseling. He was also a director for the Westbrook “Safe Harbor” elderly housing project and served as chaplain of the Westbrook Fire Department for eight years. Bob served on the United Church of Christ State Conference Committee on Aid to Ministers.
Bob was a gifted photographer and won numerous awards for his photographs, including two international competitions. His photos often reflected his lively sense of humor and deep interest in people, and he had a special eye for the artistic and the beautiful. Bob enjoyed sharing his hobby at the New Haven Camera Club and created a wide variety of slide programs with music, as well as numerous prints.
Bob is survived by his daughter Jan H. Losee of Lawrenceville, Georgia; two sons, Stephen R. Van Gorder of Lafayette, Colorado and Jonathan G. Van Gorder of Fairfield; two sisters, Betsy R. Minkler of Berkeley, California and Barbara Coffin of Suffield; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. He was predeceased by his second wife Jane Winchel Van Gorder, who died in 2018, and his first wife, Joy H. Van Gorder, who died in 1989. He was predeceased by his brother Michael J. Chambers of Hamilton, Montana in 2017.
Committal will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at Cypress Cemetery in Westbrook, followed by a memorial service at First Congregational Church of Westbrook at 11 a.m. The family requests that any memorial donations be sent to Covenant Living Benevolent Care Fund and the Westbrook Congregational Church. To make a memorial donation, please visit http://westcongchurch.org/online-giving. For his online obituary, visit www.swanfuneralhomeoldsaybrook.com.
