[Jayhawk-Chapter] Fwd: Mary Gordon update - visitation Thursday evening, Celebration of Life 3PM Friday

Tue Dec 3 15:34:06 UTC 2019

I did not know about Mary’s passing! Oh my goodness, I echo what you said Susan, such an incredible woman! Truly a force for good in the world.
Thank you for passing on the information Tamara.
Brendy

> On Dec 2, 2019, at 6:03 PM, Susan Tabor via Jayhawk-Chapter <jayhawk-chapter at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> We did not know! How sad! She was an incredible woman! What a loss for our community! Thanks for letting us know. Tamara!
> Susan
> P.S.:  I will not be at the NFB gathering on Saturday as I am at an Advent retreat that day.  Have fun! 
>  
> From: Jayhawk-Chapter <jayhawk-chapter-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tamara Kearney via Jayhawk-Chapter
> Sent: Monday, December 2, 2019 5:08 PM
> To: Kansas Jayhawk Chapter list Lawrence <jayhawk-chapter at nfbnet.org>; Lynda Anders <yellowrose7632 at outlook.com>
> Cc: Tamara Kearney <tamara at gatetoserenity.com>
> Subject: [Jayhawk-Chapter] Fwd: Mary Gordon update - visitation Thursday evening, Celebration of Life 3PM Friday
>  
> I’m sure that some of you know about this, but I thought I would forward to you the latest info that I’ve received.
>  
> Tamara Kearney, CMT
> Certified Massage Therapist
> Yoga & meditation Instructor
> 408-768-5288 cell
> tamara at gatetoserenity.com <mailto:tamara at gatetoserenity.com>
>  
>  
>  
> 
> 
> 
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>  
>> From: Lori Kesinger <lorikesinger at yahoo.com <mailto:lorikesinger at yahoo.com>>
>> Subject: Mary Gordon update - visitation Thursday evening, Celebration of Life 3PM Friday
>> Date: December 2, 2019 at 12:09:43 PM CST
>> Posted to Mary Gordon's facebook page on Nov. 30th, 1:34 PM by her daughter Lori Tilson:
>> It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that my mom had a large bleed (hemorrhagic stroke) into her brain last evening about 5:30- she thought that she had turned her head wrong when buckling her seatbelt and started vertigo symptoms... she lost consciousness within an hour- by that time we were at the Fort Collins hospital. Diagnosis came soon after and at 10:30 she died. It is all surreal , but I am grateful she didn't suffer long (she was just annoyed that vertigo had started) and that all her immediate family was at her bedside for her last hours. This picture was taken an hour or so before the bleed occurred. She was excited to be at Megan's...Sam (son-in-law) was making pies and we were waiting for Wayne and Joe to arrive. She had hot tea and was bundled up because they keep their house colder than she'd like😉 This is her last picture and it shows how happy she was to have made the trip to CO. I'm sure going to miss her... so lucky to have had such a great mom❤ I don't know anymore at this point.
>>  
>> Mary Alice Gordon - Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. <https://rumsey-yost.com/2019/11/mary-alice-gordon/>
>>  
>> Mary Alice Gordon - Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory Inc.
>> Mary Alice Gordon, 85, died on November 29th, 2019. She’d just traveled from Lawrence, KS to Fort Collins, CO wi...
>>  
>>  
>> The Obituary
>> 
>> 
>> Mary Alice Gordon
>> 
>> 1934-2019
>> 
>> Mary Alice Gordon, 85, died on November 29th, 2019. She’d just traveled from Lawrence, KS to Fort Collins, CO with her daughter that day, arriving in time to watch her grandson-in-law bake a pie for a Thanksgiving Feast. Mary experienced a stroke a few hours later, and passed peacefully that night, surrounded by her family. 
>> Mary, known to her grandkids (both biological and not) as “Gamby,” was born to Leslie and Florence Demeritt on November 12, 1934, in Lawrence, KS. She lived in a farmhouse that didn’t have running water or electricity until she was 14 years old. Growing up, she was athletic and was a softball pitcher for the town of Clinton and eventually played basketball while at University of Kansas. In 1955, she married Charles Gordon, principal of then-known Central Junior High, with his two daughters, Kathy and Mary. She had her daughter, Lori, in 1957. She and Charles divorced in 1962, though she maintained close relationships with her step-daughters throughout her life. Aside from four years spent in California, she spent her entire life in Lawrence, KS. 
>> Mary graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Physical Education and taught at Central Junior High and Haskell University before obtaining a B.S. and Masters of Science in Education. She earned certification in Special Education for Visual Impairment from the University of Northern Colorado. She became a teacher for blind and visually impaired students of the Lawrence Public School District, working in multiple schools and teaching summer school for the blind from her own home. Being a student of Mary Gordon’s didn’t end with graduation, as she taught most of her students from pre-school through adulthood. Her kids learned how to be successful in every subject they took and every interest they had, while also absorbing extensive life skills along the way. She began coordinating with the Colorado program called BOLD, the Blind Outdoor Leisure Development skiing program for blind students and adults. For 20 consecutive years, she raised funds from various community groups to send a school bus full of these individuals to go skiing in Aspen. 
>> While working as a fulltime teacher, she also became the President of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation for Blind and Visually Impaired, as well as President for the Lawrence Teacher’s Association. She was a member of the Clinton Lake Historical Society, Phi Delta Kappa, Delta Kappa Gamma, the Lawrence Education Association, Mortar Board Alumna, Daughters of American Revolution, K-NEA, and life member of NEA. In 1988, she received the Kansas Special Educator of the Year Award. In 1993, she earned the Kansas Master Teacher Award from Emporia State University, as well as the Outstanding Educators Award from the University of Kansas. In 2003, she was inducted into the Lawrence High School Hall of Honor (alongside Danny Manning, she’d be the first to tell you) 
>> Following her retirement in 1999, Mary continued to dedicate her life to serve others. She became a director of the Lawrence Lions Club, an international organization dedicated to bettering the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals through community outreach. She worked as a volunteer for Lawrence Memorial Hospital and was previously on the board for the Visiting Nurses Association of Lawrence. In an unofficial capacity, she dedicated her efforts in fundraising and providing for the needs of her former students. Being a student of Mary Gordon meant being her student for life. 
>> Mary was an adoptive mother and grandmother to many. She loved her Jayhawks, and proudly showed it with a wardrobe that was almost completely red and royal blue. She couldn’t go to a restaurant without seeing an old friend, and almost just as frequently, making a new one. She was late to everything, but it was usually because she was chatting with an old student on the phone or filling her bird feeder at the last minute. She planted her garden to be a perfect habitat for monarch butterflies. Although Mary spent her whole life in Lawrence, KS, she loved exploring new places and cultures, including China, Egypt, Turkey, Costa Rica, Netherlands, Greece, and even above the Arctic Circle. She loved her family, friends and the Lawrence community with all of her heart. She was always genuinely happy to see you and you felt loved when you were with her. She would’ve been glad to know that she went quickly, without a fuss, and with her loved ones holding her. 
>> Mary was preceded in death by her parents Leslie and Florence Demeritt and her brother Leslie “Laddie” Demeritt. 
>> She is survived by her daughter Lori Tilson and son-in-law Wayne Tilson, step-daughter and son-in-law Mary and Dale Mitchell, step-daughter Kathy Gordon, grandchildren Joe Heacock, Megan Gleeson, Scott Mitchell and Kristen Hase, and sister Martha Parker, as well as great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. 
>> A visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00pm Thursday, December 5th at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. On Friday, December 6th, a brief graveside service will be held at 11:30am at Clinton Cemetery, followed by celebration of life service at 3:00pm with reception to follow at First Presbyterian Church. 
>> In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lions Club of Lawrence Foundation in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. On the memo line, please write “Mary Gordon Fund.” Donations to this fund will be used for charitable purposes to continue Mary Gordon’s legacy of community support
>>  
> 
>  
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