Gordon R. Gilbert

Gordon R. Gilbert October 8, 1939 - March 16, 2007 Beloved father, friend, and teacher Gordon Ranney Gilbert passed away Friday, March 16, at his home in Grand Junction, CO. Gordon was born October 8, 1939, and grew up in Phoenix, AZ. He received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1964-1967, Gordon was a research staff member at the M.I.T. Center for Space Research, working in solar physics and experimental satellite design. He was awarded a NASA Traineeship from 1967-1969, and later consulted for NASA, in its Apollo program and the first lunar landing. He received a Ph.D. degree in Physics from M.I.T. in 1972. In 1971 Gordon joined the faculty of the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona where he later served as research Professor of Astronomy and Astronomer. Gordon was co-developer of the SIT Photon-Counting Spectrograph and led the development of the digital Television Detector of Low-Light-Level Astronomy. In 1980, Gordon moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, to pursue his love of theoretical physics and teaching at Mesa State College. He was instrumental in developing the physics program, and served as Chair of the Department of Physics and Chemistry from 1985 to 1993. He received the first Distinguished Faculty Award in 1993. Gordon was a long-time supporter of the arts at Mesa State, and a frequent and popular public speaker. He was a member of the board of the Grand Junction Musical Arts Association, and was a member of the First Congregational Church. He also served for 20 years as a board member of the Intermountain Centers for Human Development in Tucson, AZ. Gordon had an enormous love of nature, a passionate love of music, and a compelling love of physics and mathematics. He possessed an immense sense of poetry, both in books and in the universe, and passed on this beauty to all he met. Gordon wished to leave behind a message of the power of love over all other forces. He will especially be remembered for his love for his family, his friends, and his students. Gordon is survived by his daughters, Jennifer Graves Gilbert of Tucson, AZ; and Elizabeth Johanna Gilbert of Fort Collins, CO; his sons, Gordon Clifton Gilbert of Tucson, AZ; James Christian Gilbert and Thomas Wyatt Gilbert of Fort Collins, CO; and his granddaughters, Yasmine Gilbert and Alia Gilbert of Tucson, AZ. The memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 31 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Congregational Church, 1425 N. 5th St. Grand Junction, CO. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gordon R. Gilbert Memorial Scholarship Fund, with checks payable to the Mesa State College Foundation; to the Intermountain Centers for Human Development; or to Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado.