Colleen Mary Cluka-Gordon

Colleen Gordon, 57, left to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Feb. 17, 2010 in Las Vegas, with her loving family in attendance at her side. Colleen was born in 1953 in Bertha, Minn., to William and Mary Cluka. Her family, including her two brothers and three sisters, spent time living in both Chester and Conrad Montana, before settling in Columbia Falls, around 1965. Colleen graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1971. She then moved to Whitefish where she lived for many years. In 1976 she married Richard Gordon, of Whitefish. In 1977, Colleen gave birth to her son and only child, Jesse.

Colleen relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1978.

During her time in Salt Lake, she attained an associate level business degree and became a small business owner. In the early 1990s, Colleen moved to Lake Havasu City to start a new business of her own.

Colleen was the owner-operator of Petrossi's Pizza in Lake Havasu City for nearly 15 years and in that time made many friends with both the locals and the seasonal snowbirds that visited every year.

Colleen loved spending her time with friends and family and was an incredibly social person. She was an avid wine connoisseur, loved planting flowers year-around and always enjoyed a good book. Colleen also took great pleasure in music. One of Colleen's greatest joys was the time spent with her niece, Jamie and Jamie's son, Ayden. Although Colleen was Ayden's great-aunt, in Ayden's eyes, she was like a grandmother and she showered him with both the love and affection afforded a grandson.

She will be missed in ways that cannot be expressed in words.

Colleen is preceded in death by her parents William (Bob) and Mary Cluka: and bother-in-law, Larry Brown.

Colleen is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jesse and Jamison Gordon, of Olympia, Wash.; siblings, Yvonne and Jim Corbett, their children, Scott, Nicole, Casey and Tony; and grandchildren, Nathan, Kaitlyn, Columbia, Alexi, Paige and Haylee; Carol Cluka-Long and her children, Jamie, Bobby and Ronny and grandson Ayden; Donald and Cozy Cluka and their daughter Brandy; Donna Hasson and Wayne Wick and their son Steven, and grandchildren, Luella and Lucas; and Ben Cluka and Michele Price and their daughter Danielle.

Colleen's ashes will be interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls, Montana on July 23, 2010. A Memorial Service will be held at the old Cenex Harvest Store on Hwy. 2 , one mile north of Glacier Park airport, at noon Friday, July 23. Reception will follow at the North Valley Eagles in Columbia Falls.