Gordon Edward Hering

Gordon E. Hering of Ankeny, Iowa passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025. Born on May 18, 1956 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Gordon grew up in Wauwatosa, a suburb of Milwaukee, and graduated from Wauwatosa East High School in 1974. He did his undergraduate work in molecular, cell, and developmental biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder. While on a break trip with college pals, he suffered a serious accident at age 19 that put him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life--fifty years. However, Gordy was not one to let that keep him from living an active and productive life. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1989 and did his post-doc from 1990-93 in microbiology at Oxford University, where they designed a lab to accommodate him. He became a successful biochemist with many publications and professional accomplishments to his credit; he was a foodie and a gourmet cook; he was a talented photographer; he flew his own airplane; and he had a loving family and many friends who will miss him greatly.

Gordon was preceded in death by his father Robert Hering, mother Carla Hering and brother Steven Hering. He is survived by cousins Pamela Parsels of Midland and Ypsilanti MI and Cheryl Eaton Kasdorf of Ann Arbor MI.

There will be a memorial on October 25, 2025 at Wisconsin Memorial Park, 13235 W. Capitol Dr., Brookfield, WI; visitation is at 1:30 pm and the Celebration of Life is at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Gordy's name to your local PBS or NPR station.