Gordon Custer Leland , Jr.

Gordon is survived by his brother Edgar A. Basse III. He is predeceased in death by his father, Gordon Custer Leland and his mother, Anne Wright Basse. Gordon is a direct descendent of George Webb Slaughter who participated in the fight for Texas independence from Mexico. It is well documented that George Webb Slaughter worked closely with Sam Houston and delivered several messages to the ill-fated Alamo. His son, Christopher Columbus Slaughter is well known for his accomplishments in cattle ranching and banking. Gordon is also a direct descendent of James Madison Chittim, a famed rancher and land owner in south Texas.

Gordon was born in San Antonio on January 17, 1943. He is a graduate of San Antonio Academy, Texas Military Institute, and Trinity University.

As a child Gordon found his life’s passion in cars and has been a central figure in drag racing and hot rodding in the San Antonio area for more than fifty years. Gordon opened Alamo Hot Rod Parts in 1988. His company caters primarily to street rod and street machine builders. Throughout the years Gordon has been both sponsor and partner with a wide range of racing cars dating back to the late 60’s. In 1977 Gordy was heavily involved with his original Funny Car “Buck Fever”, an Alcohol-burner driven by Jon Barrett. He then got involved with the carbon-bodied ’68 Camaro Top Sportsman driven by Trent Wilson and the 1929 glass Model A-bodied C/Gas Roadster that has a running record of 239 miles per hour at Bonneville with Ian Brown at the wheel. The racing community has lost a true pioneer.

Gordon will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who knew him.

A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, March 25th at 11:00 a.m. at Porter Loring Funeral Home in the chapel. In order to keep everyone safe and healthy as possible, our family kindly asks that you wear a mask while attending the service and maintain social distance.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Texas Kidney Foundation or an organization of your choosing.