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Gordon Edward Billheimer age 96 of Montgomery died November 5, 2020 in Powellton, WV.

He practiced as an attorney and member of the West Virginia State Bar for over 60 years. Known as friends as “Powerhouse”. Gordon was born June 14, 1924 in Stonewall Jackson’s former home in Lexington, Virginia to Ida Conner Billheimer and Ira Granville Billheimer. In 1936 the family moved to Montgomery, WV for work during the Great Depression. In 1940 at age 15 Gordon graduated from Montgomery High School where he was a cheerleader. He attended West Virginia Institute of Technology until entering military service during WWII where as a military policeman in the 8th Armored Division he was engaged in European Theater combat actions, including the drive of the Moselle Saar Salient, crossing of the Rhine River and attach on the Ruhr Valley, clearing of the Hartz Mountains, and liberation of a portion of the Nazi Buchenwald Concentration camp.

In 1945 Gordon attended the Biarritz American University, a university set up in Biarritz, France by the United States government for post-war GIs. In 1949 Gordon received his law degree from West Virginia University College of Law. In 1980 West Virginia Institute of Technology awarded Gordon a Board of Regents Degree.

From 1950-1953 Gordon was a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1953 he returned to Montgomery to practice law where he became a noted litigator in criminal and civil cases including groundbreaking public-school civil rights cases.

Gordon served for over 40 years as the Secretary of the Fayette County Bar Association where his annual “reading of the minutes” poking fun at the local bar and judiciary became a legend. Gordon was elected multiple times to the Fayette County Board of Education where he served two terms as President. He served as President of the West Virginia School Boards of Association and member of the State Board of Education. Gordon was active in helping Public Service Districts bringing water to rural and small-town residents in West Virginia. He served on the Board of Directors of the Merchants National Bank for many years. Gordon served as the President of Upper Kanawha Valley Chamber of Commerce three times and was named it’s 2006 Citizen of the Year. He was a Director for the West Virginia Tech Foundation and the WVU Tech Athletic Fund. He was a member of the Montgomery Lions Club, Montgomery Rotary Club, and a member of the Coal Valley Masonic Lodge #74 AF&AM. Gordon had a passion for local history, served as the Chairman for the Centennial of the Fayette County Courthouse in 1995, was a member of the Montgomery Historical Committee, and was named a History Hero by the West Virginia Archives & History Committee in 2016. Gordon and his family built and maintained the park under the overpass of the Montgomery Bridge in Montgomery.

Gordon is survived by his two daughters, Betsy Atwater (Walt) of Boomer, Sara Horrocks (Lee) of Mt. Nebo, his son Gordon, Jr. (Meg) of Austin, TX., and by grandchildren, James Ford, (Anna), Jeremy Billheimer, Jessica Wagoner (Ben), Matthew Horrocks and Leanna Horrocks.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, services are postponed until a time to be announced.
Memorial contributions can be made to the City of Montgomery Street light beautification project, 321 4th Ave., Montgomery, WV 25136, or Montgomery Public Library, 507 Ferry Street, Montgomery, WV 25136.

O’Dell Funeral Home, Montgomery is in charge of arrangements. Expressions of sympathy can be sent at www.odellfuneralhome.com