“In thy face I see the map of honor, truth and loyalty” Henry VI, Part II.

 

One could see a loyalty in Gordon that did not waiver, loyalty to family, friends and colleagues, his church, the Order and the Institutes.

 

Our families were connected in several ways thru the years.  Gordon was born and raised in Neenah, WI as was Ellen and Ellen’s dad gave Gordon a job at a Neenah paper mill during summer vacation in college.  We lived with the Harpers in Singapore in 78 and 79 and our son Mark attended school at Earlham College with Stuart and Elena.  While we lived in California we made an annual trek  to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon with the Harpers, the Hockleys and sometimes the Cookinghams.  Gordon being the Man of Letters usually lead the reflective conversations and interpretation of Shakespeare and the others plays. (always with clear insight and his wry sense of humor especially eliciting comparisons of the plays to what is going on in 21^st century society)  I recall several long walks with Gordon there and in Seattle discussing Order history and the NRM.  We had the good fortune of visiting with Gordon and Roxana in September after he knew he didn’t have much time.  I hope that I can have the same attitude to the completion of my life as Gordon had.

 

As John Dryden 17^th century poet said of Shakespeare, he might have said of Gordon, “He was the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets had the largest and most comprehensive soul.”

 

David and Ellen Rebstock