Thomas Rowley Gordon

You were a good man Gordon.

Gordon did, even as a teenager, take up for younger kids. I was the youngest kid in the neighborhood and Gordon always made sure to have me on his side, whatever game we were playing. I think he did kind of have 9 lives between car crashes and rolling over the John deere B with a bucket of manure on it.

Gordon had a scar on his forehead from a car crash in 1955 in Etna, Maine. My sister was also injured along with others. We lived on the Coboro road in Stetson next to the Rowleys. I have many fond memories of those days. Gordon could mow hay with a John Deer B like nobody I ever saw.

Gordon was my mentor, friend and hero. Gordon was my best man at my wedding for myself and Sharon. I am heartbroken RIP my friend.

We were fortunate to meet Gordon and Norma while they visited in Maine years ago. A great couple.

I had the pleasure of meeting Gordon when I first started out in fire on the ANF. He would always tell me that I had great responsibility to take care of the Forest, the land and the people that loved it. When I started doing PIO work he said that responsibility was even greater and I'd better do him proud and make the Forest look good. I learned so much from Gordon, from Forest history, to how to tell her story with pride and never forget the past. His love for the FS and Smokey rubbed off...

I knew Thomas as Mr Gordon Rowley when I was in the Boy Scouts in the late 1970's. He was the very definition of a mentor. He led by example that included good values and compassion. Rest in peace my friend Gordon.

Gordon was a great mentor to me as a young firefighter on the Baldy district of the Angeles and a life long friend, I am still deeply saddened by the loss.