Born April 27, 1928, Gordon died on October 1, 2022. He was 94. Gordon lived a life grounded in love—for his family, friends, students, his vocation as a lifelong learner and teacher, and for the great mystery of God.
Gordon grew up in Whitesboro, New York, the youngest of 3 boys. At age six, he began to study piano and played it for the rest of his life. Gordon loved Whitesboro’s small town life, and as a senior in high school, he wrote Whitesboro’s history. In 1950, he was employed by the Utica, N.Y. Observer-Dispatch, where he met his wife, Palma (Pam) (1928-2004), and they were married for 53 years. Gordon served in the army during the Korean War. He completed his Ph.D. in English at Syracuse University. In 1958, he began teaching at Michigan State University, where he remained for 36 years. At MSU, he worked in a variety of roles: professor of English, founding dean of Justin Morrill College, and assistant to President Clifton Wharton Jr. for lifelong education. He retired from MSU in 1994. For over fifty years Gordon taught hundreds of adults in MSU’s Adult Non-Credit Evening College. He enjoyed teaching and continued to teach classes on history, literature and a number of other topics throughout his retirement up until this last spring.
Gordon was a member of All Saints Church for fifty years. As a parishioner, he developed a program in Christian adult education and frequently taught classes on the Bible, Christian history, spiritual disciplines, and Christian writers.
He wrote several essays about his old age, created a blog, and wrote his autobiography: New Every Morning: Waking Up to My Life.
Gordon is survived by his seven children, Amy (Chilson), David, Emily (Brand), Laura (Livingston), Peggy, Marc, and Chad; fifteen grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to either All Saints Episcopal Church in East Lansing, MI, or to the Capital Area United Way in Lansing, MI, in Gordon’s name.
A funeral service will be held Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 11:00 AM at All Saints Episcopal Church, 800 Abbot Rd, East Lansing, MI 48823. Interment to follow at St. Joseph Cemetery
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