Obituary

Gordon was a husband, father,  grandfather, businessman, mentor and friend. He left our world suddenly on January 30, 2022, in his 75th year. Gordon was born in Orangeville to Lorne and Josephine Rayburn, where he grew up on the family dairy farm with his brother and two sisters. As a boy, Gordon was involved in 4-H and played recreational baseball and hockey. One of his most significant accomplishments was when in 1963, he plowed in the World Plowing Match held in Caledon, Ontario. Gordon left high school to work, he travelled west, where he installed gas lines in Calgary and throughout the province of Alberta. At 20, Gordon returned home, purchased a backhoe and started digging; he never looked back. Gordon married Diane in 1972, and together they expanded the construction company and established a Hereford cattle beef operation. Gordon was very involved within our community. He was a member of the Kinsmen service club, a past board member with the Simcoe-Dufferin-Muskoka Crime Stoppers and a member of the Orangeville Police Services Board. Gordon participated with many groups and municipal councils on projects throughout the county. Over the years, Gordon sponsored many minor sports teams and budding athletes. In 1976, Rayburn Construction was the corporate sponsor of the Orangeville Stingers Junior C Lacrosse team who won the Ontario championship. He supported the Orangeville Junior C Crushers hockey team as a board member, donor and fan, travelling the province to cheer them on. Gordon was very proud to be the long-time corporate sponsor of the Junior A Northmen lacrosse team. He has supported young men on and off the floor for over four decades as they chased their dreams. Gordon was a mentor to many young athletes and entrepreneurs over the years. He was always there to share advice and guidance with those who asked. Those who were fortunate enough to have his hand on their shoulder know he was a larger-than-life figure. He was proud to witness many of these young men succeed in life, and he was humbly honoured to be a part of their success. Gordon will be greatly missed by Chad. As Rayburn Construction Ltd. expanded with excavators, scrapers, dozers, and more of the signature blue dump trucks, Gordon’s impact was obvious in our community. Gordon was very proud when both his daughters Cynthia and Amanda returned home from university and joined him in the business. He felt it was a privilege to work alongside them every day. At the end of the day and on weekends, he was always found on the farm. Farming was more than a hobby for both Gordon and Diane; it was a return to their roots. A full-time job for some, it was Gordon’s time for reflection and contemplation. He was often found on weekends in a tractor or working cattle. In the early years of business, farming and family, Gordon would travel our region showing commercial heavy horses. The signature blue and white colours were woven with ribbons into the horse’s mains, and the large blue show wagons were drawn by as many as an eight-horse hitch. They entertained large crowds at local fall fairs and the RCMP musical ride at the Orangeville fairgrounds. Over the past decade, he found great pleasure farming on Manitoulin Island. The air was fresh, and the stars were brighter up north. When asked, he’d always say, “there’s never a bad day on the island.” One of Gordon’s happiest days was the day he became a grandfather. He doted on his grandson Gordy. Teaching him to value the small things in life from welcoming a new calf in the barn to the pride in working the land to bring in a bumper crop. They would spend hours in the tractor, skid steer and excavator doing odd jobs around the farm or seen on the Kubota checking fences and cattle with Gordon’s four-legged buddy Toby. On January 3, 2022, Rayburn Construction Limited celebrated 55 years in business, serving Dufferin, Caledon and Wellington communities shaping the landscape of our counties. His family will significantly miss Gordon: his wife Diane, daughters Cynthia Amanda and his grandson Gordy along with many employees, friends and colleagues. Due to Covid-19 concerns, there will be no service. The family will host a celebration of Gordon’s life this summer when we can gather together safely. In lieu of flowers and to honour Gordon’s memory, lets follow in his footsteps and spread kindness in the communities he loved. Online condolences may be made at www.imfunerals.com. In Memoriam Funeral Services Inc. has been given the honour to serve the Rayburn Family.