Obituary of Dorothy Ruth Gordon

Dorothy Ruth (Godfrey) Gordon was born January 1, 1926 in Somerville (Boston), Massachusetts to Warren Sawyer Godfrey and Catherine Bernice (Baxter) Godfrey. During the ages of six through eight, Dorothy lived in Tres Les, Switzerland, where her father was a chauffeur for a wealthy New England family. At the time, her parents were separated and later would divorce. Dorothy learned French while living in Europe and, when she moved back, she was held back in school a year until she could relearn English. She graduated from Summerville High School in the class of 1945. She worked the following two years at Gordon College located in downtown Boston at that time.

An important part of Dorothy’s life was her personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As a junior in high school, while listening to a minister on the radio by the name of Jack Wyrtson, she responded when he said, “The train was leaving and it was time to make a decision for Jesus Christ.” So she did, right then and there, and shortly afterwards was baptized.

In 1948, Dorothy met John Hartt Gordon at Park Street Church in downtown Boston, just a couple of blocks from the Massachusetts state house and across the street from the Boston Commons. Both she and Johnny (as she called him) remember Billy Graham speaking to the youth of the church in the basement fellowship hall and later upstairs and eventually onto the Commons. John and Dorothy were married April 22, 1950 at Park Street Church by Dr. Harold Ockenga.

John served in the Navy and while they were stationed in Newport, Rhode Island, the couple had their first child, Marilyn Eileen Gordon, on April 21, 1952. John’s whole extended family moved to California during that time, so they followed along. John worked for Western Electric Telephone Company in the Bay area. On April 25, 1955, Richard Alan Gordon was born in Richmond, California. The family of four settled into a new housing development for their first home next to a large orange grove in San Jose, California. On May 17, 1960, the growing family gained a third member with the birth of Lowell Elliot Gordon.

Shortly thereafter, John took a transfer to Spokane, Washington, and six months later to Seattle. The family would eventually settle on five acres in the small rural town southeast of Seattle called Maple Valley. John commuted daily to downtown Seattle for Western Electric.

It’s important to point out that, even though Dorothy had left Boston earlier, she still retained the accent of a New Englander. For her kids and many of her friends, there was nothing more enjoyable than hearing her say her name – Dawthy - Wuth – Gowden. In later years, she would work on changing that, but it was always an effort (not to mention the great times of fun all had with the speech patterns of both parents—those good times would go on for hours!).

Dorothy had a busy life, tending to the needs of their ever-growing kids. She was active in the PTA, which would lead to her developing a cookbook publishing business called “Dot Publishing and Binding,” later becoming “Dotson Printing” with son Richard.

She started writing a cooking column for the local newspaper, Voice of the Valley. The column, called the “Kitchen Kupboard,” ran weekly for more than a decade and led for a short time to a newsletter by the same name. The newsletter was sent out as far away as Canada (making it, of course, an “international” publication). As children, we were the guinea pigs for many, many, many recipes and proofs of concept.  Later, tables would turn when Dorothy played an important role for her son, Richard, as she would proof the recordings of his sermons each week as the quality control supervisor.

Dorothy had many friends throughout her life, but the most important one to her was her relationship with Jesus Christ. She and John found great friendships and fellowships, always connecting to a church wherever they lived. From Park Street church in Boston, to First Baptist in San Jose, Fourth Memorial in Spokane, Hillman Covenant in Seattle, Kent Alliance and Kent Covenant in Kent, Salkum Community Church in Mossy Rock, Grace Community Church in Arizona, Westwood Baptist in Olympia, Grace Community Church in Auburn, River Ridge Covenant Church and Turning Point in Olympia.  This list doesn’t include the many churches they were part of over their lives, especially during their RV traveling years.

After all the children graduated from Tahoma High School, John and Dorothy sold their Maple Valley home and property, moving to a beautiful view property site in Mossy Rock, Washington. They built and established their home with a large garage for John’s projects, and looked to connect to that community. During that time, a favorite past time was camping with their much-loved trailer. At first, they used their Wilderness trailer and eventually graduated to a shiny Airstream.

Their love for traveling and camping would lead to selling their Mossy Rock property and, with a new Dodge truck and fifth-wheel trailer, they became fulltime RVers. They journeyed across the United States from Western Washington to New England to many other parts of the great USA. They picked up many new friends and relationships wherever they traveled.  Eventually, they purchased a lot just north of Arizona and spent several winters enjoying the gentler climate.

After several years on the road and with the need to be located closer to family, they sold their fifth wheel and bought a home in a retirement community in Olympia. Later, at the invitation of their oldest son, they moved up to Sumner, Washington and, for five years, lived on Lake Tapps in a roomy downstairs apartment, enjoying the sights and sounds of life on a lake.

Their next home was back down in Olympia at a retirement community called Laurel Oaks, where several close friends also lived. They enjoyed shopping at Walmart and Fred Meyer, and it was a time of great relationships and friends. For more than five years, Dorothy knit one to two blankets a month, donating them to the CareNet Pregnancy Center of Thurston County. With health becoming more and more of an issue, in early 2018, they sold their Laurel Oaks home and moved into Stillwater Assisted Living, finding it a wonderful and helpful move.

Dorothy Gordon was a person everyone liked. She was a great encourager, serving with energy and faithfulness for many years. She was engaging and sweet. If someone had a problem with her, everyone knew where the problem was. She was a child of the King and she served others well in that role.  From a sweet wife to an always unselfish mother and friend, she was one of the kindest, sweetest people anyone would ever meet. She passed in her sleep on the morning of October 12, 2018, with her Johnny by her side.

Dorothy was a wonderful example of a true follower of Jesus Christ. Her love for the Lord and others was consistent over her lifetime. We can all consider ourselves richer for the relationship she shared with each of us. The world has lost an incredible person, but Heaven has brought home one of its most precious children. 

Dorothy is survived by her husband, John Gordon; her children, Marilyn (Russell) Tucker, Richard (Beth) Gordon and Lowell (Dacia) Gordon; grandchildren, Mark Saftich, Troy (Sarah) Saftich, Geoffrey (Samantha) Saftich, Sharilyn Sinden, Jason (Railene) Gordon, Jill (Loren) Ellingson, Beccy (Tim)Scheuffele, Jenny (Aaron) Meredith; and great grandchildren, Gavenn Saftich, Evann Saftich, Alexis Saftich, Mason Saftich, Kai Saftich, Jonah Saftich, Atlas Gustafson-Saftich, Orion Gustafson-Saftich, Natalie Gordon, Chase Gordon, Max Ellingson, Cole Ellingson, Addie Scheuffele, Casey Meredith, Macky Meredith.

The family suggests donations in Dorothy’s honor be made to CareNet Pregnancy Center of Thurston County at olyloveslife.org.  Click on Donate Now, Quick Give, “my donation,” and then drop down to choose Dorothy’s Memorial.