Kyle Robert Gordon

Kyle Robert Gordon

Reno - Kyle Robert Gordon left our world on September 13, 2018. He was 55 years old. His brilliance and humor touched many souls. Those who loved him knew him not only as a "wise ass" but, also as a renaissance man.

Kyle grew up in Reno, Nevada. He lived with his father, Bob. Mother, Julianne and four siblings: Dan, Colleen, Jeff and Kelli. Growing up he collected baseball cards and went hunting with his father and two brothers. He worked for his father, Bob at Gordon Seafood where his love for seafood and cooking ignited. His friends describe him as "a man child who was completely covered with hair by the time he hit 8th grade." He attended Reno High School and to say the least, was a gifted athlete - he lettered in basketball, football and track and field. The man was fast. His friends and classmates voted him "class clown" his senior year, many knew him from his loud humor, his witty remarks and his fantastic storytelling abilities. During high school, he developed his passion for music. He wrote songs and knew every instrument, lyric and lyrical meaning to Yes, Led Zeppelin, The Who and a multitude of others.

After graduating high school in 1981, Kyle attended Arizona State University. He went to plenty of football games, played rugby and never missed a concert that came through Tempe. He majored in English. From there, his love for reading, writing and books solidified. He loved all literature but, had a passion for American literature - from John Steinbeck to Cormac McCarthy - he had read them all. It took him months to finish a novel - as he had to take in every sentence to know the true meaning behind every word the author wrote. This man could tell you each symbolic detail (no matter how minor) and the thematic significance of: a piece of art, a movie, a song or a novel. He saw everything.

In 1989, Kyle moved to San Francisco, one of his favorite cities in the world, and began working at Kaiser Permanente Hospitals as a Project Manager. Kyle spent his free time playing softball, competing in dart tournaments and hanging out with his friends at Dooley's Bar. In 1993, Kyle met his wife to be Anna Maria Martin at a "poetry reading" as his friends would say. Kyle and Anna were friends for several years and had an extended friend group in which they explored San Francisco and numerous activities. Kyle worked full time and attended night school at Golden Gate University in which he obtained his Master's Degree in Public Health. Ultimately, Kyle and Anna began dating, they had a little girl named Julianna Jane Gordon, fell in love and were married (yes, in that order). Kyle and Anna were married in Lake Tahoe which was a magical place for both of them. They lived in San Francisco until 1999 when Kyle received a job opportunity and relocated to Incline Village, Nevada. This was a dream,as they had always wanted to raise their family in the mountains. Kyle and Anna had their second daughter Gracie Marie Gordon in 1999. At this point, Kyle wanted a career change and found his true calling when he became an English and Drama Teacher. Kyle coached JV Basketball, Track (focused on the sprinters) and Football. Kyle finished his teaching career at Reno High School, his alma mater. Kyle or better known as GORDON, was a beloved teacher - his students remember his loud voice filling up the hallway, passion for literature and the phrases: "you're killin' me!" or "scammer" being said often.

From Reno to Tempe to San Francisco to Tahoe - Kyle had so many friends. You could spot Kyle's legion of friends from miles away - as they were the ones grouped together complaining about the bets they had lost and yelling at their favorite sport teams. Kyle was extremely loyal to his teams: the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona State Sun Devils and Golden State Warriors. Kyle's many friends shared some of his most fun and beautiful memories - from days boating on the Lake Tahoe, to SF Giants games, concerts and of course, thinking of responses to Kyle's "pop off" comments. He and his friends spent nights gathering over good food from the barbecue (charcoal never gas), great wine and endless laughter.

Kyle loved his daughters, Julianna and Gracie. He spent summer days with them in San Francisco - taking them to Giants games, exploring Chestnut St., reading comic books, walking the Golden Gate Park and driving with all the windows down, sunroof open blasting KFOG Radio Station. Spring Breaks were trips to Santa Cruz flying kites, searching for sand dollars, playing board games, riding the Giant Dipper and of course… artichokes. He made Christmases special by gifting pajamas to every member of the family, every sing year and writing Santa notes about how Santa burned himself on his own handcrafted fire. He liked to make them laugh. Kyle loved his daughters, Julianna and Gracie very much.

Kyle was a true Tahoe man. A majority of his summers were spent on his boat, appropriately named "Brown Eyed Girls." He loved being on the lake with his family, spending summer nights barbecuing and listening to the sounds of the pine trees with his friends and family. Oh… and the winters were always made for building "the perfect" fire - to keep his family warm. (carry the fire)

He spent his final days with his Irish wolfhound- Tenny. You would find him at his favorite spot - floating on his boat in the middle of Lake Tahoe. He no doubt was blasting the Counting Crows (or the Bodeans) while reading the newest Michael Connolly novel with a SF Giants hat on, perfectly polished Maui Jim sunglasses covering his big brown eyes - with euphoria and peace surrounding his soul.

Kyle Gordon is survived by his two daughters, Julianna Jane Gordon and Gracie Marie Gordon. His mother, Julianne Anastassatos (Jerry). His brothers, Daniel Gordon (Annemarie), Jeffery Gordon (Carolyn). His sisters, Colleen West (Kevin). Kelli Stables (Donald). And his amazing nephews and nieces.

Kyle Gordon's Memorial Services:

Saturday - September 22, 2018

Saint Francis of Assisi in Incline Village, NV 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

If you would like to express you condolences or share a special memory please visit www.waltonsfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers, the family requests - for those who wish to honor Kyle, to make a donation to either of the athletic departments: Reno High School Athletic Department, Reno, NV or Incline High School Athletic Department, Incline Village, NV.