Gordon Harfst

Gordon W. Harfst was born in Grand Island, Neb., on June 17, 1935. He died in Bellevue, Idaho, of Parkinson’s, on June 12, 2015.
When Gordon was 5 years old, his family moved to Seattle, where Gordon resided until he and Elaine sold their home of 36 years in 2013, and established residency in Ketchum, where they had spent most of their time for the preceding several years.
Gordon retired from Hargis Engineers, where he was a partner, in 1998. During his career, he designed the mechanical and electrical facilities for all Nordstrom stores in the United States between the years of 1975-1998. He also designed similar facilities for several Providence hospitals in the Pacific Northwest. Upon his retirement, he served on the board of Habitat for Humanity, Wood River Valley, and was involved in the construction of a house in Bellevue, and the renovation of several other houses for Habitat.
Gordon is survived by his wife of 59 years, Elaine, of Ketchum; their daughter, Joan Houx (Mike), of Folsom, Calif.; their son, Chris (Elspeth), of Everett, Wash.; their granddaughter, Brittany Naidu (Brandon), of San Diego; grandson, Wesley Godden, of Bellingham, Wash.; grandson, Kyle Harfst, of Seattle; and his brother, Eugene Harfst (Karen), of San Tan Valley, Ariz. Gordon was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Robert; and his and Elaine’s great-grandson, Parker Naidu.
Services will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood in conjunction with the Wood River Chapel at 3:30 p.m., followed by a cocktail reception. Remembrances may be sent to the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley, or the Youth Scholarship Fund at the Big Wood Church.