Obituary: Newburgh, NY. Gordon "Red" Barnum played his last note and entered into final rest at St. Luke's Hospital on February 22, 2013. He was 83. A resident of Newburgh, NY, he retired from the Teamsters Local #445.
Son of the late Gordon and Mary Metzler Barnum, he was born May 12, 1929 in Newburgh, NY.
Red served in the U.S. Marines from 1946 to 1949.
Survivors include two sons, Mark Barnum and his wife, Cheryl of Wallkill, Gordon Barnum II of Wisconsin; two daughters, Alayne Eisloeffel and her husband, Henry of Circleville and Keelie Garcia and her husband, Jose of Pine Bush; eight grandchildren: Heather, Henry, Nicholas, Gavin, Haylee, Gordon, Aaron, Tyler; one great grandchild, Noah, and a long time best friend, Jack Carney. He was predeceased by a son, Dennis Barnum.
A Family Statement reads: "Red's brilliance was displayed in many ways, but his music was his forte. He masterfully wrote, arranged, and instructed music, and performed with the best, including the United States Marine Corps Band and World Champion Hawthorne Caballeros. There wasn't a horn he couldn't play, and his love of all types of music was beyond compare. Part of his legacy is the vast number of young men and woman he mentored in drum and bugle corps throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond for more than four decades. Red was a dynamo who was passionate about numerous things. He was an avid golfer; he taught himself and others computer programming; and he was a man that could fix practically anything, especially his vehicles (though sometimes his repairs weren't pretty, he always reached his destination promptly). Red also enjoyed his late night snack and lengthy power naps on the couch, and he will fondly be remembered as a teacher, perfectionist, movie aficionado, loving father, and friend.
Calling Hours will be Tuesday, February 26th from 2 to 4 & 7 to 9 p.m. at the Doulin Newburgh Funeral Home. A Funeral Service will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at St. Mary's Cemetery in Washingtonville.
Memorial donations are suggested to The Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps., C/O Steve Raclowski, 49 Sand Hill Rd., Vernon, NJ 07462.
Arrangements are under the care of Christian D. Garrison of the Doulin Newburgh Funeral Home Inc., 318 N. Montgomery St., Newburgh, NY 12550, 845-562-0068.