Before and After Day 6, Remembering Gordon

(Start “Before and After” series here)

“The most wasted of days is the one without Laughter!”
E.E. Cummings

Nephew Scott, his wife Jill, and Nephew Todd likely laughing at what is fondly referred to as a “Gordonian Moment.”

To prepare for the Memorial Service tomorrow, Galen gathers us together in the living room and asks us to think of the words that come to mind as we think about Gordon. There is lots of laughter as we share the “Gordonian” moments, things that could only happen to, be said by, or done by Gordon.

Words

* Stitches, of the Emergency-Room variety. (LOTS of them)

* Comfortable with people and engaged easily with them. (He never met a stranger)

* Interested in everything and had an opinion about it all.

* Very verbal and gregarious with a wacky sense of humor

* Loyal – Lois Jones, his Mother-in-law elaborates:  “He’d see things that needed fixing and  would do them for me, but often got the wrong thing from the store first, before he actually got the right thing and fixed it!”

*  When he needed to figure out a job, he’d lay on the couch with a pad of paper and pencil and stare at the ceiling until he figured it out.

* He insisted on doing things right and wanted things to be visually pleasing, taking the extra time it took. He wasn’t a duct tape kind of guy!

Wife Carol and Daughter Megan, Bob, Carol’s brother and nephew Gerald

Accident Prone

* Got a fish hook caught in his eyelid, sitting in his truck, trying to get it out of the seatbelt, where it had gotten caught!

* Fell off a ladder while he was at work when Carol was pregnant with their daughter Megan, and needed stitches on his head. Drove himself to the hospital and then called her to tell her!

* A window fell on top of him and he called his mother from the ER, (after he drove himself there) to tell her he’d get to use that hospitalization she had just signed up for.

* Broke his leg the first time he went skiing

* Broke his arm playing in one of his first Little Guy Football games.

* And one of the funniest “accidents” – One day he was cleaning a fish over the kitchen sink with the disposal running so it would grind up the scales as he cleaned it…However, when he dropped the fish, down it went into the running disposal – fish fillet!

Jokes

NO ONE loved a joke and a good laugh more than my brother and he had one  for every occasion, every phone call with the family and anytime he was with a friend.  My  dad told me the morning of his death he would miss those phone calls, which always ended with a joke, often lame, but you just had to laugh.  for example:

*  Two cannibals were eating a clown. The one cannibal said to the other: “Does this taste funny to you?”

* A man went to a psychiatrist and said “I’m a wigwam. I’m a teepee. I’m a wigwam. I’m a teepee.” And the psychiatrist said “Relax! You’re too tense (tents!)”. I can just still hear Gordon telling that joke. It was one of his better ones! Shared by Carol, his wife

gordon stories
A few of the things Gordon would say and do:

* I understand, but I disagree with you!” He had unique phrases for every situation – always a new one, so they never got old. He loved telling a story and every time he told it, the story was longer and more elaborate.

* Loved to learn and talk about anything, especially off-the-wall topics, cell phones, his GPS, computer, how to paint (he was a painting contractor) and sports of any kind.

* He loved his church and his church soft ball league. He and one of this friends were the “old guys” and he had recently started to play squash with a new friend.

* Galen, his brother in law, said when they played golf together, Gordon never got upset by a bad game because each hole was a new adventure and a chance to redeem his game.  He rarely kept score

* * * * * * * * * * * * added a few years later * * * * * * * * * * * *

Living out and communicating his faith:

One of the things I love most is was hearing how Gordon communicated his faith. One of his friends, Keith, adds these comments a few years later as Carol and I visits with him at a coffee shop in Billings:

“When talking to me about God before I was a Christ follower (and I am one because of him) he never preached, or quoted scriptures.  He told stories. And would often play devil’s advocate. He would ask questions like what if. . . why . . . have you ever thought . . .  and then he’d jump up and say “I’ve got to go,”  again, leaving you thinking. For over two years Keith said Gordon  was his “spiritual mentor” and it is because of him he is a Christian husband, father, business man.”

Click HERE as story continues to unfold.

 

12 Replies to “Before and After Day 6, Remembering Gordon”

  1. This makes me want to be more intentional with my little brother. Beautiful read. Cannot believe he got a fish hook stuck in his eye! LOL

    1. oh Ivan, he was a piece of work…and I mean that with all the love I have for him. His tales were legendary. Yes, brothers are so important and the relationship so worth cultivating.

  2. I am late to this story, but I wanted you to know I was here, and that I read this, and that I wish I’d known your brother. Thank you so much for sharing these memories. I am so very sorry for your loss.

    1. Deidra…it’ was good to hear from you. Yes, he was a fun guy and I miss him so much. thanks for reading….It touches my heart when people I dont’ even know read and care. blessings

  3. Gordon was one of the guys that I felt was special and I was a little afraid of him- president’s son and all. I liked him and I respected him but did not know him well. I was shaken when I heard of his home going and have prayed for you folks from time to time since then. thanks for reminding us of him!

    1. Tom, how nice to hear from you. I smile when I think of you being a bit afraid of him since he was the president’s son. thanks so much for checking in here and leaving your greetings. And thank you for the prayers for the Longeneckers.

  4. Awwww this post is just great, although I am sure it was hard to write. It makes me so so glad I knew Gordon and can appreciate all over again what a character he was. Such a special special man!

    1. Actually, Donna, it made me happy and I felt warm all over. I smiled a lot today. I had put all that in the album I made about him, but had never really worked on it to make it readable, etc. Yes, he was a character!

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