Gordon was born on November 11, 1930 in Spring Bay the son of Charles and Katherine Keller Garber. He married Barbara E. Jeneson on July 8, 1950 in Peoria. Surviving is his wife of East Peoria, as well as one daughter Laura Lee Garber of Rock Island and their adopted daughter Kathy Ybarra of Milwaukee, WI. He is further survived by three sisters Joyce (Fred) Knop of East Peoria, Carol (Hank) Hayes of Morton, IL and Kay (Ron) Cook of Utah; one brother Dick (Joan) Garber of Peoria. One daughter LeAnne Garber and one son Gordon C. Garber preceded him in death. Gordon was drafted in 1951 and assigned to the US Marine Corp before being discharged in 1953. He was co-owner of Behm-Hagemann Wholesale Lawn Products along with his brother Dick in Peoria for 52 years retiring in 2006. Gordon was a member of First United Methodist Church of Peoria where he was previously active in the childrenA