Gordon was born to Hattie and Haydn Samuel in Chinchilla, PA.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife of 62 years, Jeanne, his brother Haydn, sisters, Mary Samuel, Jeanne Winebrake and Leah Smith, daughter, Linda M. Samuel, and son-in-law Tom Bernier.
Gordon is survived by his sister, Rae Camin of Reston, VA, his children Valerie (Kevin) Scott of Raleigh, NC, Kelley (Fernando Contreras) Samuel of Washington, DC, Jennifer Bernier of Silver Spring, MD, Susan (Neil) McPherson of Sherborn, MA, Gordon (Christine) Samuel of Scottsdale, AZ, and son-in-law Jake Jakubos of Washington, DC; his grandchildren, Oliver Samuel-Jakubos, Kendall Samuel-Jakubos, Haley Samuel-Jakubos, Colin Scott, Glenn Scott, Jacqueline Bernier, Katie McPherson, Brendan McPherson, Kyle McPherson, Elle Samuel, Liv Samuel, and Will Samuel, and many nieces and nephews.
Gordon attended Pennsylvania State University in State College before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in 1952. As a Drill Instructor, he was selected for officer flight training and received his Second Lieutenant commission in the Marine Corps and Naval flight wings in August 1955. Gordon became a jet fighter pilot in various squadrons on active duty and reserves, retiring as a Colonel in 1981.
He married Jeanne in Mobile, AL on July 21, 1956, and shortly thereafter moved to Pennsylvania where they lived for over 39 years. He worked at Eastern Claims Service for 34 of those years and retired in 1992 as president and managing partner. Gordon served as president of the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Adjusters and served 12 years on the Lackawanna County Redevelopment Authority Board. He was a founding member and past president of the South Abington Lions Club, a member of the Scranton Canoe Club, and served on their board of directors.
Upon retirement in 1992, Gordon and Jeanne settled in Perdido Key, FL where they were active members in their community and in Saint Thomas-by-the-Sea Catholic Church. Gordon continued his passion for aviation by volunteering at the Pensacola National Naval Aviation Museum.
Gordon had an immense love for his wife, family, friends, and community. He enjoyed all things aviation including watching the Blue Angels and other jets as they flew to the Naval Base. He treasured his adventures with his USMC pals and their long-lasting friendships. Gordon was a jack-of-all-trades including building his PA home & pool and his FL workshop, “the Pentagon”, where he dabbled in woodworking, designing cork crafts, and worked on many home improvement projects. He had a fondness for winemaking, cheering on Penn State football, boating, and fishing, watching the martins take flight and the picturesque Intercoastal Waterway view from his home. In his later years, despite all his medical mishaps, he continued to amaze us with his strength and determination to power through. A hero in every sense of the word and will be dearly missed by so many.
Visitation will be Thursday, November 5th at the Oak Lawn Funeral Home, Pensacola, FL, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Funeral Services will be Friday, November 6th at St. Thomas-by-the-Sea Catholic Church, Orange Beach, AL at 11:00 am with graveside Service to follow at Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, FL, 1:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Semper Fi Fund: https://semperfifund.org/donate/
