Official Obituary of
Griffith Lewis Gordon
October 21, 1929 ~ February 25, 2017 (age 87) 87 Years Old
Griffith Gordon Obituary
Griffith Lewis (Lew) Gordon, 87, of rural Hannibal passed away Saturday, February 25, 2017 at his home.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, March 3, 2017, at the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel, in Hannibal, Mo. Burial will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery in Palmyra, Mo.
Visitation will be held 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 2, 2017 at the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel.
Lew was born on October 21, 1929, in Wabash, IN, the son of Griffith L. Gordon, Sr. and Mabel Ealy (Bush).
He married Marie Theresa Girard of Fairfield, Vermont, April 17, 1954 who survives him. He is also survived by sons Stuart Gordon of Monroe, Georgia; Glenn Gordon of Hannibal; and daughter Sharon King of Columbia, Maryland. In addition there are six grandchildren.
Lew was preceded in death by his parents.
Gordon graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis in 1947. He served in the U S. Air Force during the Korean War, and later completed his college training under the Korean G.I. Bill at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, obtaining a bachelor degree in physics with honors. He also did graduate work in physics at Georgetown and American Universities in Washington, D.C.
Gordon spent the majority of his professional career as an electronic engineer with the Central Intelligence Agency retiring in 1979. During this time he was stationed with his family in several overseas locations. He was a recipient of the CIA's prestigious Career Intelligence Medal. He later continued as a consultant with the US Government until the end of the Cold War in 1990.
Gordon was an avid amateur radio enthusiast having received his first FCC license in 1947 as W9APY. He later was issued the call sign K4VX which he has held until his death. In 1993 he was elected to the position of Midwest Division Director for the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) serving in that capacity until retiring in 2000. The Midwest Division includes Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.
In 1996, he was elected to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame for his contributions to the field of amateur radio contesting. His antenna towers on the old Bush family farm northwest of Hannibal are well recognized by both airplanes landing at Hannibal Regional Airport, and those passing by on Highway 61. He was a life member of the ARRL, the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA), Mississippi Valley DX and Contest Club, and the Eastern Iowa DX Association. He was also a member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club and the Society of Midwest Contesters. He was author of numerous technical articles relating to amateur radio receiving the ARRL publication QST Cover Plaque Award in 1993.
A life member of the National Rifle Association, he was a staunch supporter of the Constitution's Second Amendment.
His other pursuits included extensive world travel, photography, skin diving, gardening, hunting, fishing, and off road motorcycling.
Memorial contributions may be made to the James E. Cary Cancer Center, in care of the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, March 3, 2017, at the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel, in Hannibal, Mo. Burial will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery in Palmyra, Mo.
Visitation will be held 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 2, 2017 at the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel.
Lew was born on October 21, 1929, in Wabash, IN, the son of Griffith L. Gordon, Sr. and Mabel Ealy (Bush).
He married Marie Theresa Girard of Fairfield, Vermont, April 17, 1954 who survives him. He is also survived by sons Stuart Gordon of Monroe, Georgia; Glenn Gordon of Hannibal; and daughter Sharon King of Columbia, Maryland. In addition there are six grandchildren.
Lew was preceded in death by his parents.
Gordon graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis in 1947. He served in the U S. Air Force during the Korean War, and later completed his college training under the Korean G.I. Bill at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, obtaining a bachelor degree in physics with honors. He also did graduate work in physics at Georgetown and American Universities in Washington, D.C.
Gordon spent the majority of his professional career as an electronic engineer with the Central Intelligence Agency retiring in 1979. During this time he was stationed with his family in several overseas locations. He was a recipient of the CIA's prestigious Career Intelligence Medal. He later continued as a consultant with the US Government until the end of the Cold War in 1990.
Gordon was an avid amateur radio enthusiast having received his first FCC license in 1947 as W9APY. He later was issued the call sign K4VX which he has held until his death. In 1993 he was elected to the position of Midwest Division Director for the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) serving in that capacity until retiring in 2000. The Midwest Division includes Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska.
In 1996, he was elected to the CQ Contest Hall of Fame for his contributions to the field of amateur radio contesting. His antenna towers on the old Bush family farm northwest of Hannibal are well recognized by both airplanes landing at Hannibal Regional Airport, and those passing by on Highway 61. He was a life member of the ARRL, the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA), Mississippi Valley DX and Contest Club, and the Eastern Iowa DX Association. He was also a member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club and the Society of Midwest Contesters. He was author of numerous technical articles relating to amateur radio receiving the ARRL publication QST Cover Plaque Award in 1993.
A life member of the National Rifle Association, he was a staunch supporter of the Constitution's Second Amendment.
His other pursuits included extensive world travel, photography, skin diving, gardening, hunting, fishing, and off road motorcycling.
Memorial contributions may be made to the James E. Cary Cancer Center, in care of the Smith Funeral Home & Chapel.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Griffith Lewis Gordon, please visit our floral store.
Friends and family have shared their relationship to show their support.
How do you know Griffith Lewis Gordon?
We are sorry for your loss.
Help others honor Griffith's memory.
Email
Print
Copy
Services
You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Griffith Lewis Gordon
© 2024 Smith Funeral Home & Chapel. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility