Gordon Briles Obituary

Gordon Alfred Briles , 88, passed away November 22 with family by his side. The eldest child of Alfred and Elma Briles, Gordon was born July 29, 1936 in Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife Patty, their son Christopher, and daughter-in-law Sabrina, his brother Howard, generations of nieces and nephews, in-laws and friends who loved him. His sister, Anita preceded him in death. Gordon made life-long friends growing up in mid-city Los Angeles where he played football for Dorsey High School. In 1957 he followed in his father's footsteps joining the Army, specializing in artillery. He returned to civilian life to earn a Fine Arts degree in ceramics from UCLA. Following graduation he joined Dave Cressy as a ceramist at Architectural Pottery. He developed art classes for elementary grades in schools around Los Angeles and taught ceramics at Loyola High School. He and Patty joined their artistic talents as resident property designers at International City Theatre in Long Beach, earning recognition and awards. He coached soccer and baseball and served as president of Little League for the Westchester Playa del Rey area and as a board member for AYSO, helping to establish Carl E. Nielsen Youth Park. Gordon was a founding member of the South Bay Bruins Alumni group and Bruins of the South Bay. A memorial service will be held at the Bob Hope Memorial Chapel at Los Angeles National Cemetery in Westwood at 11:00 a.m. on February 3, 2025