GERRY GOSSENS – Salisbury, Vermont

Gerry Francis Gossens, 90, a 40-year resident of Salisbury, died in Middlebury, Vermont on January 18th, 2024. Born at Henderson, Texas in October 1933, eldest of Gerhart Heinrich Gossens and Sophie (Botzem) Gossens, both German immigrants – their names are on The Wall at Ellis Island. A proud first-generation American, in childhood he lived in Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas and Cincinnati, Ohio during World War Two, while his father worked on the Big Inch Pipeline, and Beirut Lebanon, graduating high school from the American Community School of Beirut, Lebanon in 1951.

Gerry was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, class of 1956. He liked to talk of the night as a Midshipman that he stood Radar Watch on a destroyer leading a fleet through the Straits of Gibraltar, and being initiated into the Order of Neptune on an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic, on a cruise to Brazil. Gerry and Nancy James were married at the Naval Academy on June 4, 1956, walking under the swords of his classmates from the Naval Academy chapel. Lieutenant, US Air Force, 1956-1959, pilot and intelligence officer. Gerry always marveled at the near-death experience that got him out of flying. As an intelligence officer assigned to Project Blue Book, he was given a car with no heat and a broken window to investigate UFO reports, most of which he found amusing for the rest of his life.

He then worked briefly at the Grey Tool Company, Houston Texas, in the Texas oil fields before being recruited in 1960 by the Central Intelligence Agency, where he spent the next 25 years.

After Junior Officer Training and Operations training, he accepted a Long-Term Deep Cover job in Beirut, Lebanon, as a sales rep for Outboard Marine Motor Company from 1961 to 1964. During this time, he traveled throughout the Middle East, and he and Nancy adopted their children Jim and Christine in Switzerland.

In the late 60's he was stationed in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, Congo, and he then spent the 1970s as Chief of Station in Conakry Guinea, Tunis Tunisia – where they adopted their third child, Joanne – Lusaka Zambia and Pretoria South Africa. The family had many wonderful vacations and travels throughout Africa and Europe during this time. In Conakry, he was often face to face with one of the most violent and psychopathic despots in Africa, Sekou Toure, and was always proud that he was able to stop the forced deportation of a Polish family whose daughter was friends with his children. During his time in Tunis, he met Yasser Arafat of the PLO, President of Egypt Anwar Sadat and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He also was involved in negotiations to free the passengers of a hijacked British airliner. In Lusaka and Pretoria, he was the CIAs intelligence source into the Rhodesian War of the late 70s – he always said that Robert Mugabe was a thug and a thief, and time proved him right. He also managed CIA involvement in the Angolan rebellion against Portugal and Cuba. Every now and then in Lusaka, some scary guys showed up at our door, men fighting for freedom in a tumultuous place at a wide-open time.

In 1980, after being PNG'd (persona non grata) from South Africa and with Nancy starting to suffer from ill health, he went to work at CIA headquarters in Langley and was involved in senior staff work at the Agency's highest levels. This was followed by two years as the Deputy Chief of Station in Paris France.

Nancy's health continued to decline, so they retired to the Vermont home they had bought a short time earlier. Sadly, Nancy died after a long illness just a few years after their retirement to Vermont. In 1990, Gerry married again, to Betsy Strolle, a physical therapist with the Home Health Agency of Addison County.

Gerry became involved with the Salisbury Selectboard, then was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, where he served two terms. This was followed by four years on the Water Resource Board of Vermont, and then two terms in the Vermont State Senate, before finally retiring a second time, this time for good.

He dedicated the rest of life to having a good time with family and friends, and traveling to every part of the planet with Betsy, going to all seven continents.

Pre-deceased by his parents Gerhart and Sophie, his wife Nancy of 30 years, and all his siblings - Phillip, Peter and Charlotte (Mitchell).

Survived by his wife Betsy of 33 years; son Jim (Daniry) of Burlington, Vermont; daughters Christine (Bob Price) of Washington, DC and Joanne (Beth Sanclemente) of Beijing, China and Toronto, CA; stepsons Carl Strolle (Adriane) of Williamstown, MA and Tom Strolle (Kate) of Jeffersonville, VT, and eight grandchildren – Michael and David Gossens, Sam and Carlo Price, Owen Strolle, and Ed, Max and Vivian Strolle. It took all of us seven boys before he finally got a granddaughter!

THEN OUT SPOKE BRAVE HORATIUS

THE CAPTAIN OF THE GATE:

"TO EVERY MAN UPON THIS EARTH

DEATH COMES SOON OR LATE.

AND HOW CAN MAN DIE BETTER

THAN FACING FEARFUL ODDS,

FOR THE ASHES OF HIS FATHERS,

AND THE TEMPLE OF HIS GODS."

Rest in peace, true heart