Priscilla Ann Gordon

      When Priscilla Ann Gordon walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Priscilla was and how she impacted those around her. Priscilla was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Priscilla wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Priscilla was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

      Priscilla was born on April 17, 1979 at Louisville General Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. She was the daughter of John and Linda Ruffing. Priscilla was raised in Traverse City, Michigan. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Priscilla might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Priscilla was always in pursuit of life's endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

      Priscilla was raised with two siblings. She had a younger sister, Candace, and a younger brother, Johnny. Priscilla was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Priscilla was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Priscilla well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

      As a young girl, Priscilla was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Priscilla was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Priscilla took part in baseball and basketball. In her spare time she liked to color, play games and listen to music. Priscilla had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

      During her high school years, Priscilla responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Priscilla was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Priscilla absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Priscilla, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Priscilla a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything.

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Priscilla was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Priscilla was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Nicole Kholer, Linda Bosscher, Michelle Fobes, Mike Santiago, Jake Leslie, Courtney, Sam, and many others. Later in life, she became friends with Linda Bosscher, Carrisa Simmons, Katie Hawkins, and Mike Santiago.

      Priscilla was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Priscilla, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Gordon home. Priscilla's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up.

      Priscilla was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life's possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was a homemaker and mother. She was employed as a telemarketer, housekeeper, caregiver, and cashier. Priscilla was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Priscilla had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Priscilla's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

      Because Priscilla loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were music, writing poems, and drawing. Priscilla had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Priscilla's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Priscilla derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included bowling. Priscilla was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity.

      Because Priscilla was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Priscilla's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Priscilla found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Priscilla was an active member of several community groups, serving on committees for the community server.

      Priscilla was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of Clifton Heights Baptist Church for six years and a member of Light of the North Christian Center for six years. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

      Priscilla's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Priscilla took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included Kentucky and Florida.

      Priscilla was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Bentley, a German Shepherd dog, was a best friend for 8 years. Her family was rounded out by her dog, Sadie and cats, Bonnie and Clyde.

      Priscilla Gordon passed away on June 2, 2007 at her home in Traverse City, Michigan. Priscilla died of a broken heart. She is survived by her children, Alexander Samuel, Alyssa McKayla, and Aliyah McKenzie; parents, John and Linda; sister, Candace Grace; and brother, John George Jr. Services were held at Light of the North Christian Center in Traverse City, Michigan. Priscilla was laid to rest in Oakwood Cemetery in Traverse City, Michigan.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Priscilla. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Priscilla Gordon for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Priscilla was always more than willing to share life's experiences with her loved ones.