Barbara Jo Gordon

Born October 19th, 1928, in Wellington, Texas, Barbara was the first girl born into a family with five older brothers, bringing some much-needed feminine energy to the Baumgardner Farm. She admired and adored her parents and seven siblings, which was evident whenever she spoke of them. In spite of growing up on a farm during the Great Depression, Barbara’s parents emphasized the need for a strong educational background.

From a young age, Barbara displayed leadership qualities, serving as Class President her junior and senior years in high school. While attending Texas Tech, Barbara was always involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, such as the Wesley Foundation, Wesley Players and the National Honors Society Phi Upsilon Omicron, even while working in addition to her studies.

While at Texas Tech, Barbara met her future husband, CM Gordon, thru the Wesley Foundation. Upon graduation, they made their home in the Grapevine area in the early 1950s. In the midst of starting their family, after moving to the area which would later become Southlake, Barbara and CM both played an instrumental role in the incorporation of The City of Southlake. They led the effort to obtain the required number of signatures for incorporation, and Barbara served as the first “acting secretary” for meetings for the newly formed “Township of Southlake.”

Barbara began substitute teaching in the Grapevine School District while her own children were young. She quickly became the first-choice substitute for the School District’s Special Education program, which inspired her to pursue her Master’s Degree in Special Education from Texas Women’s University. During this time, she encountered the educational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, to which she was immediately drawn.

Barbara began pursuing the Montessori method of education, even as she completed her Master’s degree. She quickly became both a pioneer and leader in expanding the Montessori philosophy of education in Texas over the next 60 years. She served as Head of School for the St. Alcuin Montessori School in Dallas for 25 years. At the same time, she established the Montessori Academy of Grapevine in 1971 at the request of local parents, later renamed The Barbara Gordon Montessori School, which she guided for over 40 years. Throughout, she was an active member of numerous Montessori organizations. She developed and trademarked the unique workshop Barbara Gordon’s Silent Journey & Discovery®, to help guide parents in understanding how the child learns, utilizing the Montessori method. In February of 2020, Barbara was inducted into the AMI/USA Circle of Distinction for her contribution to Montessori education in the US.

Those who knew Barbara will remember her drive for excellence in the field of education, her warm smile, sparkling eyes, and love for family, children and all with whom she came in contact. She leaves behind her children, son Lloyd Gordon and his wife Feng, daughter Carol Demlow and her husband John, son Randal Gordon, and daughter Ann Swindell, four grandchildren,

Katie, Brittany, Andrew, and Morgan, and several great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph Bailey and Eva Baumgardner, and her seven siblings, John Henry, Forrest, Haynes, Robert, Marion, David, and Priscilla Jacobson.

Funeral services will be held at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 5725 Colleyville Boulevard, Colleyville, Texas, on May 29, 2026, at 1:30 pm.