Dublin remembers a dedicated volunteer and leader as former Dublin Mayor/councilmember Tom Gordon was laid to rest in the Old Dublin Park Cemetery Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.
Tom and his wife, Judy, arrived in Dublin at the end of 2000 and were already known for their service to the community when they first appeared in the Dublin Citizen in January 2002. It was reported the couple were already members of the Lions Club, Rotary Club, PAR Country Club and were driving forces in the Keep Dublin Beautiful Campaign. Tom would run for City Council the following year and serve for several years as councilmember and Mayor of Dublin. His volunteer positions also included Dublin EDC, Historical Society, Corner Lot Gang and the County Appraisal Review Board.
Although the couple came to Dublin looking for a place to retire and be closer to their grandchildren, they invested in the community quickly and completely.
“Everyone needs a Tom Gordon in their lives,” said Karen Wright, who served with him in many organizations for years. “He’s the guy who dropped whatever he was doing to help you. The benefactors of his willingness to help included the city, where he served as mayor and the civic clubs and the Historical Society, where he was a board member and museum host.”
“He served faithfully on the board of the Economic Development Corp. for many years – always arriving early to the meetings after having gone carefully through the agenda,” the former EDC director continued. “He was always ready with questions. Lots of questions. And how many times did we call him at the last minute to help us put out American flags for the Rotary Club? He always was willing. He enjoyed it because he was a proud veteran.”
Gordon served from 1969 to 1972 as a sergeant and medic in the Air Force during the Vietnam War.
The Irving native worked at Delta Airlines for more than three decades and it was there that he met his wife while he was working in customer service and she was a stewardess. They were the proud parents of two daughters and grandparents to four.
Tom was a dedicated family man but still took the time to invest in the town and made sure it always looked good down to his well-manicured lawn. He also took the time to say hello to everyone at an event, meeting or passing by.
“He called all the women ‘Missy’ – I never knew why. Sometimes he would say, ‘Hello Pretty Lady’ to every woman in the room, making us all chuckle,” Wright recalled and joked that the compliments were easier than remembering names. “After Judy passed away, Tom, [longtime ‘Museum Lady’] Mary Yantis and I would eat Sunday lunch at Dairy Queen,” Wright remembered. “Tom had lost Judy, Mary had lost Dick and somehow DQ tacos among friends kept the loneliness at bay until they went to their empty homes.”
“Losing Tom leaves a gaping hole in my heart,” said Wright. “I am one of many people in Dublin who has lost a special friend. I am blessed to have him in my life for so many years.”
The family of Tom Gordon issued a call for assistance with mowing, landscaping and beautifying the private cemetery prior to the funeral Monday and the following citizens stepped up to help: John and Sarah Barbee, Rod McNeal, Curtis Lewis, David Leatherwood, Jimmy Leatherwood, Lisa Leatherwood and Pat Leatherwood.