Gordon Lee McCleery

Gordon Lee McCleery, 76, passed away on April 16, 2022, in Monticello, Fla. He was born August 30, 1945, in Dallas, Texas, the son of Fred G. and Velicia (Darrow) McCleery.
Gordon served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years as a radioman. He began his career during the Vietnam War where he received a Purple Heart. He was stationed at Nova Scotia, Canada; Patuxent River, Md.; Whiting Field, Fla.; Kings Bay, Ga.; and New Orleans, La. He retired back to Milton, Fla. for a brief time. He moved his family to Monticello, Fla., in 1993 after obtaining a position with FEMA where he used his learned skills to aid local, state, and federal agencies in the ability to communicate during natural disasters. He retired after 20 years. He volunteered at the Jefferson County Emergency Management and belonged to the Thomasville Amateur Radio Club. He enjoyed talking on HAM radios, tinkering in his shop, deer hunting, and maintaining his hobby farm and cows.
Gordon was predeceased by his parents. Survivors include his wife, Rachel (Ward) McCleery, of Monticello; sons, Richard McCleery (Sandy), of Pace, Fla., Jesse McCleery, of Santa Rosa, Calif., Bryan McCleery (Ashley), of San Antonio, Texas, and Alan McCleery (Heather), of Tallahassee, Fla.; daughters, Dawn Nuckolls (Chad), of Ky., Renee Burch, of Columbus, S.C., and Christine VanMiddlesworth, of Louisville, Ky.; grandchildren, Wendy Davis (Joseph), Jackie Madderra (Kevin), Kayla Blanchard (Bryan), Hannah McCleery, Lily McCleery, Vivian McCleery, Abigail Nuckolls, Rachel Nuckolls, Elisha Nuckolls, Alexis Nuckolls, Allison Nuckolls, Keith Nuckolls, Trevor Nuckolls, Jahsiah Smith, Janiya McMann, Delante Burch, Darianah Burch, Cherie Martin, and Christopher VanMiddlesworth; and four great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 28, at All Nations Church, 2820 Sharer Rd., Tallahassee, Fla. Interment will follow at Tallahassee National Cemetery in Tallahassee. Arrangements by Beggs Funeral Home, 485 E. Dogwood St., Monticello, Fla.