William E. Gordon

My condolences! I remember the time he lived in Radioville, Arecibo . His children were my friends. We used to have parades, parties in the neighborhood. Mr. Peters, also engineer from Cornell used to teach us children square dancing at his house. I will forever remember those days! Magaly Jiménez Hayes

My deepest sympathy to the family of Bill Gordon. When I was growing up, he and my father worked together at Rice University. In fact, it came as a great surprise to me to learn that Dr. Gordon's first name was Bill; I had always assumed it was Dean because of my father's references to Dean Gordon (as in Dean of Natural Sciences at Rice). Later, when I was in college, Dr. Gordon gave me summer jobs in his office --- the Dean's office. He was a pleasure to work for; he was kind, warm and...

Dear Nancy, Larry, Liz and families, I offer condolences in a troubling time. But as I think of Bill, I see him with a gentle smile, offering clarification and encouragement. He touched my life in many ways, first as a grad student of Henry Booker. Years later he invited me to come to Puerto Rico for a year at the newly-completed Arecibo Observatory. Gordon Pettengill was already there and we scrambled to get echoes from Venus as she came closest to the earth. The one-year visit became 15....

Dear Liz & families, You have already heard, but I wish to join others in saying that Bill was a giant in his field. Not only was he a gifted, visionary scientist, but he had a magic about him, a commanding presence that made him a leader. He was eager to share, and this combination of talents rubbed off on his colleagues and especially his students. I find comfort, and I know you do too, in knowing that he lives on through all the lives he has touched.

I was a graduate student at Cornell in 1958 when Bill gave his first seminar about the idea -- incoherent scatter from electrons in the ionized part of the upper atmosphere -- that led, in a remarkably short time, to the construction of the giant Arecibo Observatory radar. Bill was a remarkable man. He had an amazing ability to get people to work together in harmony to accomplish great things. He moved, with his and four or five other families, to Puerto Rico for five years to plan and...

Dear Nancy, Larry, Liz & families: I wanted to take this opportunity to express my condolences to all members of your family and to say how important Bill was to my life and career. He was Dean of Natural Sciences, Provost and important mentor at Rice when I was establishing my academic career. And, when I went to Washington as Director of the National Science Foundation and then Science Advisor to President Clinton, Bill was a key advisor, whose wise counsel I welcomed and used, wisely I...

The Fabre family feels so blessed to have spent time with Bill during our holiday dinners here in Austin. What a gentle man, always so humble and kind.
He truly lived a full and inspirational life! Our deep sympathy is with you all at this sad time.

David and I were sorry to read of Bill's passing. There was a wonderful long friendship and respect between my family and yours--with charished memories in Texas, NY, MA and PR.
Bill will be remembered for his professional accomplishments, but for me it will be his sensitive and considerate manner. (in the late 40's and early 50's my sister Cindy and I thought of him as our surrogate father.) You have our deepest sympathy,
Betsy Hamlin Holloway (Virna Hamlin O'Connor's daughter)