Gordon Belt

Gordon E. Belt, 83, passed away peacefully at his home in Lenox, MA, on July 19th after a short battle with cancer.

Born November 25, 1933, in Erie, PA, the only child of Ruth and Clyde Belt, Gordon was an outstanding swimmer, smart, hardworking, and good with numbers.  Never afraid of hard work, he spent his teenage years working on the transport barges of Lake Erie shoveling coal. He attended Indiana University on a swimming scholarship, and graduated in 1956 with a degree in accounting. Shortly after graduation, Gordon joined the U.S. Army and spent 3 years working in the Finance Department stationed in Germany, where he embraced the culture and developed a life-long love of all things German.

Over the next decades Gordon climbed the corporate ladder, holding financial positions at various prestigious firms such as Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, & Co., in Chicago; W.R. Grace & Company, in Iowa and Tennessee; and Ward Foods, Inc. (now Nestlé USA), in Chicago and New York. Gordon capped his corporate years at Viacom International, where he served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer as well as on the Board of Directors of Orion Pictures; and where, in 1987, he played a key role in the management-led buyout bid for the company, which was ultimately acquired by Sumner Redstone. A Certified Public Accountant, he subsequently set up shop in Copake, NY, and later, Lenox, MA, and was actively working up until his latest cancer diagnosis. Gordon was also a member of the Financial Executives Institute, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the New York Society of Certified Public Accountants. While living in the Copake area he also served on the local school board, Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, and the Copake Economic Development Group.

Although Gordon enjoyed a successful working career, he first and foremost valued his family, with whom he found the greatest joy. He married Nicki (Lamendola) Chwalek in June 1997.   He is survived by his wife Nicki; his children Linda and Andre Burnier of Montpelier VT;  Leslie and Nicholas Parsenios of Lenox, MA;  Brian and Brian’s life partner Wendy Gray of Hudson, NY; step-daughter Amanda Chwalek of Lenox, MA;  and grandchildren Skylar Belt, Luc Burnier, and Chloe Parsenios.

Calling hours will be held at Peck and Peck Funeral Home in Copake, NY, Sunday July 23rd from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Elenor Sonsini Animal Shelter of Pittsfield, MA, or the American Cancer Society. The family also wishes to thank Hospice Care of the Berkshires and Mountain View Homecare for their support during his last days.

To send an online condolence please visit www.peckandpeck.net

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