Obituary
Joel N. Gordes, son of the late George S. Gordes and Fannye V. Gordes (Halpern) and brother of the late Neil G. Gordes, passed away on June 16, 2024, at the age of 78. Born in New Britain and a resident there until 10, he was a graduate of Newington High School in 1964 and the US Air Force Academy in 1968. He spent his career flying the RF-4C Phantom II aircraft in unarmed reconnaissance accumulating over 130 combat missions over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and numerous other decorations and was a rated military parachutist.

His later duties included training of Iranians and delivering fighter aircraft to the Shah’s air force. This indirectly led to his career in energy efficiency and renewable energy to get the nation off foreign energy sources and prevent future conflicts over them. In his endeavors to do so, he worked in active solar systems design, aided in over 200 passive solar home design and was Executive Vice President of the NY Solar Energy Industries Association.

He spent many years active in democratic politics including two terms as a State Representative from Colebrook, CT serving as House Vice-Chair of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee from 1987-1991 where he passed many laws favorable to clean energy. An ardent environmentalist, he was a primary co-author of the Connecticut’s first legislation to mitigate global warning in 1990.

Joel leaves behind his beloved wife, Lin, niece Lisa Escabí, her husband Monty and son Holden of Wethersfield, his sister-in-law Barbara Gordes of Glastonbury, and many dear friends and former colleagues.

Memorial donations may be made to the Connecticut Humane Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111. Funeral services will be private and at the convenience of the family.