George Kenneth GORDON

1932 - 2019

Was born February 26, 1932 in Buffalo, NY. He died September 26 at Episcopal Homes. His parents and two sisters were born in Scotland and immigrated to the United States in 1928, making Ken the only Yankee in his family. He is predeceased by his first wife, Esther, his parents, John and Mary, and two sisters, Maisie and Isabella. Ken attended Westminster College in New Castle, PA where he found an emerging call to the ministry. After graduation, he volunteered as a missionary for three years in Egypt where he taught English and basketball at a boys' school. Returning home, he attended Pittsburgh Xenia Seminary where he found intellectual stimulation in a field that was close to his heart. After graduation, he was the minister for Presbyterian parishes in Guernsey and Fort Laramie, Wyoming. He found that community problems were spilling into the churches requiring additional skills so he received his doctorate degree in education from Indiana University where he then served on the faculty. He also served as Chief of Literacy at the Indiana Women's Prison System leading a one-year pioneering literacy project. His second pioneering project came when he joined the faculty of the Program in Hospital Administration at the University of Minnesota. Here he headed the Center for Long-Term Care Administration, one of six centers in the U.S. funded by the Kellogg Foundation when legislation mandated licensure of nursing home administrators. This required the development of a curriculum to transform this work into an academically based profession. He co-authored the first textbook in the field which went into four editions. Ken served on the Board of Unity Unitarian Church, received the 1994 Education Award from the American College of Health Care Administrators, and both the St. Paul and Roseville clubs of Rotary International recognized him for his active role in their world-wide polio eradication program. Ken loved to fish, play tennis and golf. He also loved classical music and played the piano beautifully, mainly 30s-50s songs. He and his wife, Ruth, spent ten winters in Puerto Vallarta, many summers at their home in Marine-on-St.Croix and enjoyed traveling to various countries in Central America and Europe. Ken is survived by his wife, Ruth Stryker-Gordon, his daughter, Marion Gordon, two granddaughters, Coral and Pearl Gordon, and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at Unity Unitarian Church, 733 Portland Avenue, St. Paul on Friday, October 11 at 3PM. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Unity Unitarian Church, Health Partners Alzheimers Research at the Center for memory and Aging, 640 Jackson St., St. Paul, MN 55101 or the donor's choice.