Gordon N. Willis Death, Obituary – The residents of the community of Depew, New York, are in a state of sadness after learning this morning that Gordon N. Willis, a former Village Judge who served for many years, passed away earlier today. His presence will be sorely missed by the community. Judge Willis has devoted his whole life to serving the residents of Depew in a variety of ways, including the position of Village Judge, which he has held for the past 23 years. Among these roles, his most recent and longest-tenured service has been as a municipal court judge. Serving the public has been the foundation of his professional life.
Before being selected to his current post on the Depew Village Court, Judge Willis worked for a number of years as an officer for the Depew Police Department. The Honorable Judge Willis served as a Detective for the New York State Railroad Police for many years prior to his retirement in the year 1992. Up until 1992, he was employed in such manner. The town of Depew was Judge Willis’ birthplace, and he lived there for a good portion of his life. Together with his wife, Diane, he was able to raise three daughters, and the couple now has seven grandchildren, as well as four great grandchildren.
After graduating from Depew High School, he attended Buffalo State College to pursue further study and ultimately earned a degree in criminal justice from that institution. In addition, Judge Willis has a degree in Political Science from Erie Community College, where he completed his studies and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. Judge Willis always felt that it was very important in his life to serve both his country and the people who lived in the town in which he lived. He served his country with distinction in the United States Army, was a former member of the Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and was also involved in the Depew Little League Baseball organization as a coach and board member.
In addition, he was a veteran of the Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps. In addition to that, he was a member of The Vine Wesleyan Church and had served as a board member for that organization for the preceding five years.