Dr. Philipd. Gordy

Philip Durand Gordy, M.D.

Viewing for Dr. Gordy will be held at The Newcomer Funeral Home Friday, March 7, 6-8 pm. On Saturday, March 8, there will be an additional viewing period from 10-11, with a funeral service following, led by Pastor Bruce Sell of Liberty Baptist Church.

Dr. Gordy died at Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions the morning of February 28. He was born to Mildred and Charles Burton Gordy October 14th, 1918, in Southampton, Pennsylvania. His parents moved to Ann Arbor in the early 1920's when his father took a position at the University of Michigan as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Phil attended the Ann Arbor public schools and graduated from University High School in 1936. He was an excellent student and was captain of the swimming and track teams.

That fall he entered the University of Michigan accelerated pre-med program. As a straight-A student, he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. He graduated at the top of his class. He was inducted into the medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha, the equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa.

He served his first year of a surgical residency at Cornell-New York Hospital and was one of two kept on for the second year. During this period of time he met his wife to be, Elizabeth "Lisa" Gairey, who was a student nurse on the surgical floors.

He received his army orders at the end of his second year and was ordered to Fort Lewis, Washington for basic training. From Fort Dix, Phil headed overseas as a member of the 180th General Hospital. After short stays in Grenoch, Scotland and Bristol, England he arrived in France.

At first the Hospital was encamped near Reims. Then Phil was assigned to the 48th General Hospital at L'Hopital de la Pitie in Paris, where his former professor of neurosurgery from Ann Arbor was chief of the service. He remained here as a member of the three man neurosurgical team for 3-4 months. Then in Frankfurt, Dr. Sidney Gross, a neurosurgeon from Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, provided another stint of "on the job training" in neurosurgery.

Back to France with the 78th field hospital, he was designated chief of surgery. By this time the war was over. He was made the neurosurgical consultant for all of northern France unofficially, so Phil was able to return home when his points came up. Lisa was waiting on the pier with many others.

Not long after his arrival they were married in a chapel of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. After a Cape Cod honeymoon, Phil began his formal residency in neurosurgery at the University of Michigan. During his residency he carried out research studies on Rhesus monkey brains and was inducted into the research society of Sigma Xi. He also earned a Masters Degree in Neuroanatomy.

After his residency, he began his practice of neurological surgery in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1949. He was a member of The American Society of Neurological Surgery, The Academy of Neurological Surgery, The Society of Neurological surgeons and was president of The Congress of Neurological Surgeons in 1958. On the personal side, four wonderful children arrived: Michael, Sharon, Mimi and Suzi.

In 1962, Phil was appointed Associate Professor of Neurological surgery, then full professor at the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland. In 1965 he was asked to assume the Chairmanship of the Division of Neurological Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It grew into The Department of Neurological Surgery under his leadership.

Lisa and Phil were divorced and he subsequently married Silvia Barfield Shay. Phil resigned his Chairmanship at Jefferson and Silvia and he arrived in Casper in 1973 to establish a private practice of neurological surgery. He was asked to accept a professorship at the University of New Mexico in 1982 but remained there only briefly, after which he returned to Casper to resume his practice. He retired in 1986, and then established the Rehabilitation Department at The Natrona County Memorial Hospital. He ran the unit for two years and then retired again, this time for good! In 1989 he was honored in Wilmington as the first neurologist and neurosurgeon in the state of Delaware.

Phil's interests included railroads, Indian artifact hunting and exploring Wyoming with Silvia; woodworking, including lathe work at which he became quite adept; extensive reading in history, especially the Civil War, ancient history, particularly Roman history, and the Holocaust. He studied languages including Spanish, French, German, Polish and Latin. Further reading interests included the origins of Christianity, studies in government and politics. While in Delaware he learned to fly, earning multiple licenses.

He participated in the Literacy Volunteer program at Casper College and was a donor to many of Casper's cultural institutions.

He is survived by 3 Daughters - Mary Ellen Famiglietti, Sharon (Rick) West, Suzanne K. Spelbring; Son - Michael D. Gordy; Grandson - Ian D. Gordy; Granddaughter - Caitlyn E. Gordy; Friend - Sam Jaure; . He is preceded in death by his Parents, Wife, Sylvia B. Gordy, Sister, Mary Rae, Brother, James Gordy.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions or Charity of Donor's Choice.

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