Dr. Jay T. Gordon

How does a person sum up all the days of a life well-lived? Dr. Jay T. Gordon departed the earth on Wednesday evening, January 14, 2026, and entered into his eternal life with the Lord. At age 77, he was at peace in the comfort of his home and loved ones, on the beautiful shores of Lake Cherokee in Longview, Texas. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, January 23, at 1:00 pm at First United Methodist Church of Longview, with a reception to follow at the church.

The firstborn child of Leo and Gladys Hoberer Gordon, Jay was born January 18, 1948, in the city of Dallas, but as a young man moved to East Texas as quickly as he could. A member of the first graduating class of W. T. White High School in 1966, active in baseball and football, he moved to Nacogdoches and enjoyed five great years at Stephen F. Austin State University before entering dental school at the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston. Jay had decided to become a dentist as an eighth grader growing up in Dallas, and after completing dental school in 1975, and after a general practice residency, he was thrilled to be accepted into the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He completed his training in 1980. Caring for patients as an oral/maxillofacial surgeon was truly one of the greatest joys of his life, and he practiced in Longview for thirty-three years. In 2019 he was honored to receive the Dr. Sam Mack Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of exemplary service. Jay once served as President of the East Texas Dental Society and was a Diamond Member of the Hinds Academy Foundation for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at U. T. Houston.

Jay's family heritage was a source of both humility and pride for him. He was the paternal grandson of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants who came from Russia in the early 1900's, and his maternal grandfather rode the Orphan Train as a three-year-old from Boston to Iowa where he went to live with a family but was never adopted. Jay's parents met in North Texas after his father returned from his service as an army medic and bronze star recipient in WWII. They married in 1947 and soon created a wonderful family with four children. Jay, his sister and two brothers, have remained a united and loving family over all the decades.

He met Ellen Reese on a blind date in Houston in 1972. He was a dental student, and she had just begun her first assignment as a high school English teacher. This meant-to-be relationship survived dental school into Jay's residency, and they were married in Tyler, her hometown in 1977. Making their first home in Houston, they longed to return to northeast Texas and chose Longview, the city where Ellen was born and near her parents in Tyler, to establish his practice and their life as a family. They quickly became involved in their community and their church, and were dedicated to serving their Lord and others. Their greatest joys were the births of their children: Leah Claire in 1982, and Reese Wade in 1985, and in recent years the births of their grandsons, Luke and Jack Philley.

Jay was a man of quiet and deep faith. As a boy and youth, he worshiped in the Catholic Church; later as a family man he actively participated in the faith communities of Trinity Episcopal and First United Methodist Church. In the last year and a half, he worshiped with spontaneous joy, singing, and shouting "Amen" at the Church at Lake Cherokee.

Passionate about the outdoors and especially hunting, Jay spent many weeks in the mountains of New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, and Canada. A true adventurer, he also hunted in the woods, hill country, and marshes of Texas. He established the Lost Thousand Ranch near Clarksville and loved his hunting club. The camaraderie of friends on these trips was even more valuable to him than the success of the hunt, and his hunting buddies were among his favorite friends. He also enjoyed friendship, fellowship and service through his memberships in Phi Delta Fraternity (SFA), Psi Omega (UTDB), Longview AMBUCS, Ducks Unlimited, the East Texas Dental Society, and Longview Rotary.

Soon after deciding to retire from his oral surgery practice in 2013, Jay was blindsided by a diagnosis of Huntington's Disease (HD). Jay and Ellen were resolute that this news would not color their last chapter, so they continued to enjoy life on Lake Cherokee, their slice of heaven, and see more parts of this amazing world.

Jay is survived by his adoring wife of forty-eight years, Ellen, his daughter Leah and her spouse Dr. Andrew Philley of Tyler, his son Reese Gordon of Longview, and his precious grandsons Luke and Jack Philley. He also leaves behind his sister Bettie Taylor of Harlingen, brother Dr. Leo Dan (Karen) Gordon of Weimar, and brother Lann John Gordon (Mellie) of Clearwater, Florida. Nieces are Elizabeth Taylor of New York City, Katherine Taylor of Harlingen, and Teresa Garza (Israel) of Harlingen, Daniel Gordon of Roanoke, and Johnalyn (Dale) Halbritter of Fort Lauderdale. All of these loved him to the end, and he loved his family and friends unconditionally.

Those who wish to honor Jay with a memorial may consider contributions to the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA), 505 8th Avenue, Suite 1402, NY,NY, 10018, the Grace Clinic, P. O. Box 5786, Longview 75608, or the Asbury House Child Enrichment Center in Longview, Texas, 320 South Center, Longview 75601.