A funeral service was held Friday at Lakewood Funeral Home for Gordon Newkirk, 60, of Modesto. He died Jan. 7, 2008 at Memorial Medical Center following a short illness.
Burial was at Lakewood Memorial Park.
Born April 8, 1947, Mr. Newkirk grew up in Ceres. He was a retired Stanislaus County Sheriff's deputy with over 25 years in law enforcement. He received the "Peace Officer of the Year" award in 1985, was former head of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department Underwater Search and Rescue Dive Team, and was a former vice president of RESCO. He also previously worked for Ceres and Pacific Grove police departments, Richland Market and Safeway. Gordon attended Ceres schools and Modesto Junior College.
Mr. Newkirk was an avid hunter and fisherman. He also was a longtime member of the Turlock RC Club and loved building and flying model aircraft. He was a NRA Hunter Safety Training Instructor for many years that had qualified over 1,000 local youth to obtain their California hunting licenses.
He leaves behind his wife, Elaine Newkirk of Modesto; three children daughters, Jill Cuevas of Ceres, and Jennifer Newkirk and Jeff Newkirk, both of Modesto; his mother, Annabelle Jaureguy and step-father Jean Jaureguy, of Ceres; his brother, Dave Newkirk of Ceres; four stepbrothers Martin Jaureguy of Denair, and Michael Jaureguy, John Jaureguy and Steven Jaureguy, all of Turlock; and four grandchildren Katelynn Cuevas and Taylor Cuevas, Anna Rogers and Alex Rogers. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald F. Newkirk of Ceres.
Remembrances can be sent to the Kidney Foundation, 611 Mission St., Third Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; or to the American Diabetes, Association Memorial and Honor Program, P.O. Box 1132 , Fairfax, VA 22038-1132.
-Ceres (Calif.) Courier /January 16, 2008
Burial was at Lakewood Memorial Park.
Born April 8, 1947, Mr. Newkirk grew up in Ceres. He was a retired Stanislaus County Sheriff's deputy with over 25 years in law enforcement. He received the "Peace Officer of the Year" award in 1985, was former head of the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department Underwater Search and Rescue Dive Team, and was a former vice president of RESCO. He also previously worked for Ceres and Pacific Grove police departments, Richland Market and Safeway. Gordon attended Ceres schools and Modesto Junior College.
Mr. Newkirk was an avid hunter and fisherman. He also was a longtime member of the Turlock RC Club and loved building and flying model aircraft. He was a NRA Hunter Safety Training Instructor for many years that had qualified over 1,000 local youth to obtain their California hunting licenses.
He leaves behind his wife, Elaine Newkirk of Modesto; three children daughters, Jill Cuevas of Ceres, and Jennifer Newkirk and Jeff Newkirk, both of Modesto; his mother, Annabelle Jaureguy and step-father Jean Jaureguy, of Ceres; his brother, Dave Newkirk of Ceres; four stepbrothers Martin Jaureguy of Denair, and Michael Jaureguy, John Jaureguy and Steven Jaureguy, all of Turlock; and four grandchildren Katelynn Cuevas and Taylor Cuevas, Anna Rogers and Alex Rogers. He was preceded in death by his father, Donald F. Newkirk of Ceres.
Remembrances can be sent to the Kidney Foundation, 611 Mission St., Third Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; or to the American Diabetes, Association Memorial and Honor Program, P.O. Box 1132 , Fairfax, VA 22038-1132.
-Ceres (Calif.) Courier /January 16, 2008
