Philip Alan Gordon

Philip Alan Gordon passed away peacefully at his home in Boulder, Colorado from heart disease. He was 78.

Born and raised in Altadena, California, Philip was the third of four children to Paul and Violet Gordon. He excelled at debate and waterskiing, and treasured the years his 'zeyde' (grandfather), Benjamin, lived with the family. His days growing up in Los Angeles in the 50s and early 60s were punctuated by driving his '58 Corvette along the newly-built and empty highways that cut through yet-to-be-developed orange groves. Although he never lived in California past his 20s, he forever yearned for the waves and smells of the Pacific and always enjoyed visiting.

Philip began his college years in Boston at Brandeis University, forming lifelong friendships in the dorms, before transferring to UCLA his sophomore year. Back in LA, he met and fell in love with Lena Gudmundsson, the family's au pair from Sweden. When Philip first made his feelings known, Lena's response was characteristically straightforward: "Why not?" Their romance began in secret - she wasn't Jewish and those were different times - but it quickly became something neither could imagine living without.

After graduating from UCLA, and after coming clean about the relationship to surprisingly supportive parents, Philip and Lena embarked on seven formative years in Europe where Philip studied history at Lund University in Sweden, then earned a PhD in Literature at King's College London. Those years abroad cultivated passions that would stay with him for life: cooking, leather crafts, baking, woodworking, and a wide circle of cherished friends.

In August of 1975, Philip got an offer to teach at the University of Colorado, and within a couple weeks, he and Lena had sold their flat and car in London, and flown to Boulder along with their three-week-old daughter Tanya, dog, cat, and a library of books. They would spend the next 50 years on the same block in the Lower Chautauqua neighborhood. Philip taught English at CU Boulder before his openly progressive views and unorthodox teaching style brought that chapter to an early close - a fact he never lost much sleep over.

He founded and led the Academy of Independent Scholars and the Boulder Dushanbe Sister Cities organization. Then, after graduating from CU Law School, practiced law for more than 40 years, including at firms like Chrisman, Bynum & Johnson - though he'd be the first to admit his style never fit well within traditional law firm settings.

His true joy was in connecting people and creating something out of nothing. He co-founded the international business advisory firm Alliance Network with his older brother Lawrence, served as corporate counsel and then CEO of Qualmark Corporation, brought tea to Starbucks (selfishly pursued after discovering it wasn't offered at Boulder's first location), and advised local entrepreneurs at Twist Snowboarding and Torment magazine, among countless other pursuits over the years.

Philip, Lena, and their three children - Tanya, Emma, and Ben - built a deep and meaningful life in Boulder alongside dear friends including the Greenbergs and the Kahns, with holiday traditions that spanned generations. To stay rooted in Europe, the family traveled often to Sweden, England, and Italy. Beginning in 2000, summers meant months at their beloved 'stuga' (summer cottage) in Sweden, a tradition that grew even more precious after Ben and his family made Sweden their home in 2011.

Philip was also an early and enthusiastic evangelist for the bidet toilet seat - discovering one on a business trip to Japan in the late 1990s and installing them throughout his home well before they were widely available in the United States. He even gifted them freely and without apology - "why should we still be schmearing with paper like cavemen?" he often said.

After losing Lena to ovarian cancer in 2013, Philip focused on his grandchildren. He taught them how to bake, built things with them in his workshop, told stories, and asked the kinds of questions that made you think harder about the world. In recent years, he found a warm and loving partnership with Kelly Athey, with whom he shared a passion for NYT Games, travel, and good company.

Philip is survived by his children Tanya, Emma, and Ben; his six grandchildren Sofia, Gabe, Powell, Evi, Isabella, and Henry; his children-in-law Andy and Katrina; his partner Kelly; his sister Deborah; and a wide community of friends whose lives were made richer for knowing him.

He will be remembered for his wide and warm smile, for his piercing questions and hypotheticals, and for the rare gift of making everyone he met feel genuinely seen.

For 50 years, Philip and Lena lived just across the street from the Four Pines trailhead, walking the trails surrounding Chautauqua Park nearly every day. To honor their memories, donations may be made to Boulder Open Space Conservancy, which works to preserve and maintain this cherished landscape. A bench at the trailhead also stands in their names. Visitors are warmly invited to stop and rest a while. A memorial will be held in Boulder this fall. Those who wish to attend may reach out to [email protected].