Robert Charles Gorney

Robert Charles Gorney, C.P.A. June 14, 1950 – August 21, 2023 Robert Charles Gorney, CPA, 73, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2023 at his home overlooking Grand Lake of the Cherokees, OK with wife Suzy and dog Riley by his side.

Born June 14, 1950 in St Paul, MN to Gordon and Denise (Burmeister) Gorney, he was the third of 4 sons. He grew up in Tulsa, OK playing high school football, hunting with his Dad and brothers, and tinkering with cars.

As a boy, summers were spent at the family cottages on Wisconsin’s Bone and Crooked Lakes. Bob treasured time with his mother listening to the Minnesota Twins in the screened porch. He formed an unbreakable bond with his brother David. They spent hours reminiscing about family days, playing handball and golf, cooking steaks and boating any lake they could find.

Bob graduated from Tulsa’s Memorial High School in 1969 where he met and married Judy (McCarter) Gorney. Together they raised two sons, Robert Scott and Michael James before divorcing. At University of Oklahoma in 1972 he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a pilot’s license. In 1975 Bob was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants where he was a member in good standing until his death.

After a successful public accounting career at Tulsa’s Weinkauf Petroleum, Bob moved to Jackson, Wyoming. He and his son Scott built a log cabin in Leigh Canyon while roughing it in a motor home on the property. He loved living in the Grand Tetons where wildlife visited his wooded home and he could fly above the mountains. Bob’s job as controller at Jackson’s Teton Aviation paired his love of flying with accounting. He flew guests over the Yellowstone Territory and was co-pilot for a charter Cessna Citation, jetting dignitaries around the country.

In 2014, Bob married Susan (Westerhoff) Gorney and embraced bonus sons Casey Fenger, MD and Parker Fenger. Together they enjoyed summers camping and boating Idaho’s Ririe Reservoir with cliff jumps, campfires, and barbeques at site A-14. In 2015 Bob fulfilled his dream with a home, boat, and year-round golf on NE Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. He hosted countless memories with family and friends on the golf course, the lake and his patio.

Bob was a kind and gentle man with quiet courage. He could fix anything and he had the tools to do it. He took immaculate care of everything he had. He showed us how to face adversity with strength and grace. He loved clouds, smooth lakes, OU Sooners football, chicken fried steak, and watching movies multiple times. Family, flying, boats, and golf were the joys of his life.

Bob’s greatest loss was the death of his son, Robert Scott Gorney in 1999. Also preceding him in death were brothers John Phillip Gorney and William Dennis Gorney. He is survived by his wife Susan Gorney of Grove, OK and brother David Lee Gorney (Debra) of Mannford, OK. Carrying on his legacy are son Michael James Gorney of Broken Arrow, OK, Dr. Casey Fenger (Dr. Melissa McIntyre) of Salt Lake City, UT, and Robert Parker Fenger (Kendra Gardner and son Maverick) of Salt Lake City, UT, sister-in-law Mary Ann Westerhoff of Hammond, IN and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends he cherished.

Bob was celebrated by family and friends during summer 2023. His private burial will be held in Leigh Canyon, WY. The family would like to thank Good Shepard Hospice of Grove, OK for their special care.