Obituary
“Gaylen Bruce Doane was born on August 30, 1936, in Gilman, Iowa. He was the son of Bruce and Eva Doane, deceased. His only sibling, LaVonne, is also deceased. He is survived by his wife, Pauline Doane of Meredith, N.H, nephew, Ron Clay, of Las Vegas, NV, daughter, Shelly Brewer and her husband Kevin of Laconia, NH, granddaughter, Jillian Dreyer and husband Matthew of Tampa, FL along with extended family members in NH. Gaylen (aka “GB”) enjoyed golf, traveling, going to the movies, and most of all a nice dinner out with family and friends. He was known to be very smart, quick with math, kind and pleasant. GB was loved by all who were lucky enough to have known him. Gaylen graduated from Gilman High School in 1954 whereupon he began exam preparations for the Naval Academy. The following year, 1955, he received a very coveted Congressional Appointment to the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. Four (4) years later in 1959, Gaylen graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He was selected for Flight School which he completed in early 1961 and proceeded to his first flying assignment in Evreux, France flying C-130(s). His missions there varied and included extensive travel to all of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, the most significant of which included an extended deployment of several months in Kano, Nigeria. The next phase of Gaylen’s military career represented a dramatic change to the more technical side of the Air Force consisting of a tour at Cape Canaveral (now The Kennedy Space Center) in support of the then newly launched U.S. Space Effort to place a man in space. This somewhat short tour culminated in his enrollment in Graduate School at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he graduated in 1967 with a Master of Science Degree. By this time the War in Vietnam was raging and required the services of all. Due to his previous and extensive foreign flying experience, he was assigned to a Tactical Combat Squadron stationed in CCK, Taichung, Taiwan. From here he flew his weekly combat missions into Vietnam; he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross during the battle of Khe Sanh. This was to be Gaylen’s last flying assignment for any other than fulfillment of his flying proficiency requirements which were accomplished in twin-engine executive jets (Saberliners) used to facilitate travel for this last and final military assignment, Space and Missile Systems Command, located in Los Angeles. He spent the last ten (10) years of his military career at this location. He retired after 20 years in late 1979. Prior to this date he began to study law and accounting and worked part-time accordingly. Upon retirement, Gaylen formed the company, East-West Coast Mgt., Inc., a Florida Real Estate Corporation which served as an all-encompassing real estate entity, brokering, constructing, and managing commercial property consisting mostly of shopping centers and medically related facilities. The purpose of the Corporation was to provide a foundation for real estate development in Florida and California. It was expanded into business management mostly for foreign investors and/or those migrating to the United States. Gaylen partially retired to New Hampshire and Florida in 1990. He spent the next ten (10) years working as a business/investment consultant for Darier Hentsch & Cie, Switzerland, an international private bank. Gaylen commuted extensively to Switzerland and California during this period and finally wound down East-West Coast Mgt., Inc. and fully retired in 1999.” Per Gaylens request, there will be no calling hours or services. Gaylen will be laid to rest in NH at a later date.
He is forever in our hearts. Wendi Gould Ward