Growing up in Lake Forest, Ill., Gordon followed his father John P. Wilson ’28 to Princeton after attending St. Paul’s School, bringing with him his superb ice hockey skills. He was a stalwart player at Baker Rink for four years. He joined Ivy Club and majored in art and archaeology. After graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, followed by a law degree from the University of Michigan.
Gordon spent most of his time in trust banking and investment advising with the Washington, D.C., investment firm of Gardner, Russo & Gardner while committing much attention to preserving African wildlife as deputy director of the African Wildlife Foundation. His greatest joys were sailing his 90-year-old sloop on Lake Charlevoix in Michigan and scuba diving with his wife, with a final adventure in the Dampier Strait off New Guinea. When he ran out of air one day, he knew it was time to quit. Gordon also loved squash, tennis, golf, bridge, and coaching youth ice hockey — all sports seasons covered by an active, life-loving classmate.