Gordon Willis Obituary, Death -The news of the passing of Gordon N. Willis, who had previously worked as the Village Judge for a significant amount of time, reached the community of Depew in the wee hours of this morning, and everyone there was shocked and saddened by the news. As the Village Judge of Depew, a position that he has held for more than 23 years, Judge Willis has made a career out of serving the residents of the town in which he was elected to office. In this role, he has served as the judge for a number of different cases.
Willis had a career in law enforcement with the Depew Police Department before he was appointed to his current position as Judge of the Village Court. In the years leading up to his retirement from the force in 1992, Judge Willis served as a Detective for the Railroad Bureau of the New York State Police.
Judge Willis never left the town of Depew, the neighborhood in which he was born and raised his entire life. His marriage produced three children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren in addition to his wife, Diane. He also had a great-granddaughter.
After completing his high school education at Depew High School, he continued his studies at Buffalo State College and earned a degree in Criminal Justice from that institution. Judge Willis received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Erie Community College. Both degrees are in political science.
Judge Willis was known for placing a significant focus on the value that comes from being of service to one’s community as well as one’s country throughout his entire career. In the past, he served his country in both the United States Army and the Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Additionally, he was a member of the board of directors and a coach for the Depew Little League Baseball organization.
He had also volunteered his time with the Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps in the past. He was on the board of directors for the organization that he was a member of, which was The Vine Wesleyan Church, for a period of five years. He was a member of The Vine Wesleyan Church.