Nov. 10, 2025: When Dr. John Gorton, longtime Staples dentist, husband, father, grandfather and community member, was diagnosed with stage 4 Glioblastoma in November 2024, his family faced a choice no one wants to make.
After many conversations with his physicians, including Lakewood’s Dr. Julie Benson and their five children, John and his wife, Sally, chose what mattered most at age 83: quality of life.
“John said it simply: quality of life,” Sally shared. “At our age, it was more important to have time together than to go through a brutal regimen that would make him so sick.”
A season of togetherness
Following a seizure and biopsy that confirmed the diagnosis, John came home in late November. December brought what Sally calls “a joyful gift” — Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s with their big family.
“We had everyone around him,” she said. “There’s a photo from Christmas, kids and grandkids gathered close, and John has this huge smile. Those were precious days,” recalled Sally wistfully.
Even as seizures increased and his memory started to slip, there were bright, ordinary moments of opening presents, playing cards, laughing at jokes, and a special stop at the golf simulator in late December so John, the men’s league champion, could “address the ball” one more time.
When care needed to change
Lakewood’s palliative care team visited regularly, focusing on comfort and cognition. But as the disease advanced, tasks became harder and John’s frustration grew. In mid-January, Lakewood hospice became the next step.
“We realized he needed hospice,” Sally said. “Dr. Benson and Katie [Paine-Santos, RN] met with us. They were kind, clear and compassionate. They helped us see it was time.”
John moved first to Lakewood Care Center and then, about a week before he died, to Lakewood’s hospice suite located in the care center.
“There is nothing more blessed for a family than that hospice suite,” Sally shared. “We could be there day and night. Two of our sons stayed well after midnight. There’s a kitchenette, a couch, a bed, everything you need when you’re keeping vigil.”
Their dog, Bailey, came too.
“She knew,” Sally said softly of the family dog that developed a special bond with John. “She laid down under the bed and stayed by him.”
The tenderness of the final hours
As John’s breathing changed, the family understood the time was near. Sally recalled leaning close to his face, saying:
“ ‘John, I have to run home and put something on the stove. I’ll be right back.’ I put my hand on his chest and then decided to stay. Ten minutes later, he took his last breath,” she said. “None of us could cry at first. It was a relief, and it was holy.”
Nurses and staff entered quietly, many with tears in their eyes.
“They were crying too,” Sally remembered. “They loved him, and they loved us as well.”
John died peacefully on January 26, 2025, surrounded by the love of family and friends near and far.
What Lakewood meant to the Gorton family
Sally’s gratitude overflows for Lakewood’s palliative care and hospice teams, and for Dr. Benson in particular.
“They are incredible. Compassionate, clear and always there,” she said. “Hospice cared for John’s pain and comfort, and they cared for us. I drive by that hospice suite entrance [at the Lakewood Care Center] and when I see cars parked there, I pray for those families. I know what they’re going through.”
She also remembers earlier chapters, how John overcame kidney cancer years before, how friends like Loren Morey kept faithful company, and how music, church and community were threads through decades of service.
“My grief began while he was sick,” she said. “I still have a hole in my heart, but I also have the memory of what I call a valiant death. John was brave, and he was surrounded by love.”
A word to other families
When asked what she would tell a family facing the same crossroads, Sally doesn’t hesitate in her response.
“Hospice isn’t giving up,” Sally said, adding. “It’s choosing comfort, dignity and togetherness when time is short. Lakewood gave that to us. And I hope other families will let that care in sooner rather than later.”
Click on the orange text to learn more about Lakewood's Palliative Care services and Hospice Care services.
Photos of the Gorton family are from Dr. Gorton's final weeks, and we are grateful to Sally Gorton for sharing them.
Top: Dr. Gorton at Christmas 2024, smiling proudly with family. Second photo: Dr. Gorton with close friends and neighbors Jim and Mary Jo Hofer. Third photo: Good friend Loren Morey visiting Dr. Gorton. Fourth photo: Dr. Gorton and Sally at the golf simulator in late December. Fifth photo: Dr. Gorton and his beloved furry companion, Bailey, at home. Sixth photo: Sally Gorton surrounded by her children and grandchildren at Dr. Gorton's funeral.
