Louis William Gorenflo

Captain Louis W. Gorenflo, SC, USN (Ret.) passed away peacefully on January 28, 2025 in Richmond, Virginia surrounded by his loving family.

Born on December 31, 1934, the only child of Marion K. Gorenflo (née Thomas) and Louis J. Gorenflo, who was Captain and owner of the SAILFISH, Biloxi Harbor Marine Tour, a tourist attraction he started in 1954, which continues under new owners to this day. An only child, Louis enjoyed an adventurous depression-era boyhood under the loving care of his exceptionally devoted mother in the lively Gulf Coast town of Biloxi, Mississippi, graduating from Biloxi High School in 1952. 

After high school, Louis attended the University of Mississippi on an NROTC scholarship, launching a successful career as a U.S. Navy Supply Corps officer directly after graduating in 1956. His first duty stations included the USS LEARY (DD-879), a venerable Gearing class destroyer, and USS WISCONSIN (BB-64), a formidable Iowa class battleship.

In 1960, Louis married Ann M. Igoe of Boston, Massachusetts. They raised three sons together at a series of duty stations, living a challenging yet enriching life as a Navy family. This included the family moving 8 times in 12 years to duty stations in Massachusetts, Maine, Mississippi (while Louis was on unaccompanied duty in Iceland), California (San Diego and then Monterey), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. He served as a Supply Officer at Naval Air Stations in South Weymouth, MA, Brunswick, ME, and Keflavik, Iceland and as a Supply Officer aboard the USS MOUNT McKINLEY (AGC-7). He served in key staff positions at the Ships Parts Control Center, the Naval Supply Systems Command, and the Logistics Division (OP-04) of the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations.

His Navy career highlights include earning advanced degrees in finance and National Security Strategy from the Naval Postgraduate School (where he was on the Dean’s List) and the Naval War College (where he was recognized for Superior Achievement in the Management Curriculum), respectively, and service aboard USS MOUNT MCKINLEY (AGC-7), where he deployed twice to Vietnamese waters and supported the landing of the Marines at Da Nang in 1965. In the interests of family stability, CAPT Gorenflo served two back-to-back tours in Washington, DC, at the headquarters of the Naval Supply Systems Command and on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon. 

His personal decorations included the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal. His campaign awards included the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (with one bronze star) and the Vietnam Service Medal (with one bronze star). These awards speak to CAPT Gorenflo’s superlative leadership abilities and managerial excellence, in the best traditions of the Navy’s Supply Corps. 

Retiring from the Navy in September 1978 to attend to the needs of his wife, Ann and three teenage sons, Louis continued applying his national security and logistics skills as a senior leader at defense contractors CACI, where he was a Vice President, and American Management Systems (AMS), where he was a Senior Principal. In his second career, he was noted for his ability to save the taxpayer money while delivering critical warfighting capabilities to the Department of Defense, best appreciated by his contributions to the USS INCHON conversion to a mine countermeasures ship at Avondale Shipyard, which was completed ahead of schedule.

After the amicable resolution of his first marriage, Louis married Kathryn M. Carney of Front Royal, Virginia in 1990, and added Kathryn’s son, Matthew Lambert, to the Gorenflo family. Despite the divorce, Ann and Louis remained good friends and Ann and Kathy became like sisters. Their mutual support was a source of strength for their entire family.

After retiring from AMS, Louis launched a third career as an ordained minister of the Southern Baptist and Cooperative Baptist denominations. Louis and Kathryn pursued careers as pastors together, preaching the Gospel together at several churches including The Church at Afton Mountain, Afton, VA and The Church at Bay View Assisted Living in Biloxi, MS, both of which they founded. Louis was distinguished in his ministry by membership in the International Fellowship of Chaplains and the Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America.

In all things, Louis Gorenflo was a dedicated father and husband; great friend and neighbor; powerful advocate and mentor; a Mississippi raconteur par excellence, whose court was always in session; and a lover of music, food, friends, and fun. His default mode was happiness and joy and, with his big personality, winning grin, and engaging popular piano chops, he brought happiness and joy to family, friends, co-workers, and strangers alike, with equal generosity of spirit. A small-town boy made good, he shared his fortunate circumstances widely and left a wake of extended family, friends, and acquaintances better off just from having known him. He cannot be replaced and will be dearly missed, though memories of him will live on. Some of these memories can be found on his 90th Birthday Tribute page (https://www.tribute.co/louis-gorenflo), organized by Kimberly Gorenflo.

Louis Gorenflo is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 34 years, Kathryn M. Gorenflo (née Carney); his sons, Commander Mark Gorenflo, USN (Ret.), Neal Gorenflo, Sean Gorenflo, and Matthew Lambert; his grandchildren, Carson Gorenflo, Addison Gorenflo, and Jake Gorenflo; and his many beloved Igoe family nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for CAPT Gorenflo will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025 at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, Howard Avenue in Biloxi at 12:00 p.m. Friends are invited to gather from 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Rev. Dr. Argile Smith will be conducting the memorial service. All are invited to attend a reception on Saturday, February 15, 1:30 p.m - 3:00 p.m., LOCATION IN BiLOXI TBD. He will be laid to rest in the Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi, MS on February 17, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. among his fellow veterans, with whom he preserved, protected, and defended our Constitution during his 24 years of faithful and honorable military service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in CAPT Gorenflo’s name may be made to the Navy- Marine Corps Relief Society, 875 N. Randolph St. Suite 225, Arlington, VA 22203, or through this link: https://support.nmcrs.org/a/homepage.

Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral home is honored to serve the family of Captain Louis W. Gorenflo, SC, USN (Ret.).