Baltimore Sun Sunday

Gordon Horak, SSA computer programer

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Gordon E. Horak, a retired Social Security Administra­tion computer programmer who enjoyed performing in amateur theater, died of pulmonary fibrosis May 13 at the Charlestow­n retirement community in Catonsvill­e. He was 83.

The son of Albert Horak, a city employee, and Emma Kraft Bados, a homemaker, Gordon Edward Horak was born in his grandparen­ts’ North Bradford Street home in East Baltimore and raised in Pigtown.

After graduating from Southern High School in 1951, he served in the Army for two years. He attended evening classes at several community colleges and the Johns Hopkins University.

Mr. Horak worked for 24 years as a computer programmer at the Social Security Administra­tion’s headquarte­rs in Woodlawn. He retired in 1994.

The former Hebbville resident volunteere­d at Cylburn Arboretum, CASA of Maryland and Senior Cybernet, and did adult literacy tutoring.

Mr. Horak was a member of the Czech and Slovak Heritage Associatio­n of Maryland. At Charlestow­n, where he had lived since 2004, Mr. Horak enjoyed gardening and working in the computer lab, as well as performing with the Little Theatre troupe.

He and his wife of 43 years, the former Eleanor Handley Clark, founded the Wine Enjoyment Group at the Catonsvill­e retirement community in 2007. It now now has 45 members, family members said.

He was also an artist who worked in graphite and ink, and he wrote detailed accounts about his travels with his wife.

At his request, there will be no funeral service. Plans for a gathering to celebrate his life gathering are incomplete.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Harold Scott Horak of Kissimmee, Fla.; two stepsons, Jim Clark of Frederick and Dennis Clark of Cape Cod, Mass.; a stepdaught­er, Patricia A. Hagerty of Indian Land, S.C.; a brother, Gilbert Horak of Arbutus; seven grandchild­ren; and two great-grandchild­ren. His marriage to Marlene House ended in divorce.

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