Army Veteran Gordon Boettcher, Ann Arbor Teacher, Coaches Huron Tennis to 4 State Titles

E. Gordon Boettcher, age 89, went home to be with the Lord on August 27, 2024 to his “mansion over the hilltop”. Gordon (or Gordy, as he was known) was born in Stockton, California on August 25, 1935, however he spent most of his life in Michigan. He was the son of Julius and Lydia (Wolfram) Boettcher and he was the youngest son of eight children, also the last sibling to pass away.

Gordon is survived by his daughter, Annherst (Jeff) Kreitz; his son, Kirk (Kirstin) Boettcher; his wonderful grandchildren, Noah and Jonah Kreitz, Jordanne and Ayslinne Boettcher, and Selah (Ricky) Gomez; and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Nub and Jan Turner; sisters-in-law, Clare and Joanne Boettcher; brother-in-law, Henry Schaus; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Gordon was preceded in death by his loving wife of almost 61 years, S. Sandra (Turner) Boettcher; his parents; his brothers, Alfred (Ardelle) Boettcher, Hulbert Boettcher, Norman (Pat) Boettcher, Emerson Boettcher; and sisters, Evelyn (Carroll) Vannatter, Velma Skelley and Sharon Schaus.

Gordon loved the Lord, his family, friends, the Word of God and tennis. He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1953, served two years in the Army and finished his undergraduate degree in education (English and French) at Western Michigan University. After meeting Sandy while teaching at Wheaton High School in Wheaton, Illinois, he completed two master’s degrees in History and Guidance and Counseling at Eastern Michigan University. He taught for over 35 years, mostly at Tappan Junior High School in Ann Arbor, finishing his teaching career at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. He was hired to coach the boy’s tennis team at Huron High School in Ann Arbor in 1974 and coached for several decades. He led the boys’ varsity team to four state Class-A championships. He coached the girl’s and boy’s junior varsity teams into his late 70’s.

Gordon was inducted into the Huron High School Hall of Fame, the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame, named the first Michigan High School Tennis Class-A Coach of the Year and was once known as “Ann Arbor’s Mr. Tennis”. He ran many local and regional tennis tournaments and was infamous for his pre-tournament speeches, much loved by players and coaches. Gordon was an excellent tennis player and played throughout his life into his 80’s.

Most importantly, Gordon loved Jesus and served in many ministries in the churches that he and Sandy attended. He loved studying and teaching the Word of God. Praising the Lord and shouting “Amen” from the church pew was Gordon’s trademark. They wintered in Florida for over 22 years and loved every minute of being “snowbirds”. He enjoyed traveling and had a deep appreciation for history, sports, language, and good food.

He was fun-loving, had a wonderful sense of humor and always made people laugh. Gordon was a true extrovert, had a larger-than-life personality and was one of the best storytellers. He had a joyful spirit and had a gift of engaging people and making them feel special. His mother called him her “jolly one” and that proved true until the day he passed.

His legacy is a love for the Lord and being a life-long student of the Word of God. Please join us for his homegoing and celebration of life (with lots of laughter) on Friday, September 6, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Knox Presbyterian Church, 2065 S. Wagner Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Gordon and Sandra Boettcher Scholarship Fund at Washtenaw Christian Academy. Please make checks payable to Washtenaw Christian Academy and mail to 7200 Moon Road, Saline, MI 48176 or donate online at www.washtenawchristian.org. Both Gordon and Sandra were lifelong educators and loved having a bird’s eye view of WCA for the last 48 years.

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