Kernan Francis Gorman died at home in East Hampton on August 11 following a short illness. He was 82.
Born January 29, 1926, he was the second son of Arthur Gorman and Gertrude Fay Gorman and grew up in New Rochelle, where he attended Iona School. In 1944, at the age of 18, he volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps. He went to Britain where he flew in B17 bombers as a tail gunner.
During this time he flew 24 missions over Germany and was shot down twice, escaping back to Allied territory.
When he returned to New York he attended Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He worked his way through college taking groups to Canada as a tour guide. After college, he joined the Wall Street firm of Kelley Drye as a tax lawyer. From there he joined Mobil Oil, also as a tax lawyer in charge of the company’s European taxes, which allowed him to travel throughout the continent from Finland to Turkey until his retirement.
In 1962, he married Mardie Madden after meeting her on a blind date in New York. The two were married in Hong Kong and traveled around the world, honeymooning in Tahiti. They relocated to London in 1967 and moved into 31 Trevor Square, Knightsbridge, which remained their London home at the time of his death.
When he retired, he divided his time between London and East Hampton, where he and his wife built a house in 1986 on Dunemere Lane, which his wife said he dearly loved. He belonged to the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, the Union Club in New York and Brook’s Club in London.
He enjoyed following current affairs, doing crosswords, and staying fit. He played golf regularly in East Hampton and walked almost everywhere. When in London he jogged around Hyde Park several times a week, an activity he was still undertaking last fall.
Survivors said this week that he was a great charmer and a funny guy with a wide circle of friends. They added that he will be greatly missed.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters, Jennifer Gorman, a writer in New York; Caroline Gorman, an events organizer in London; and Annabel Gorman of Cape Cod. A sister and two brothers predeceased him.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 19, at 11 a.m. at St. Luke’s Church in East Hampton.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation, 200 Pantigo Place, Suite M, East Hampton, NY 11937 would be appreciated by the family.
on Aug 12, 2008