Obituary of Burton LeRoy Gordon

For many years, Dr. Burton LeRoy ("Roy") Gordon was a familiar sight taking his daily walks along West Cliff Drive, wearing his sun hat and carrying his walking stick. He died peacefully at Seaview Guest Home in Aptos, California on February 27, 2015 at the age of 95. Roy was born in Asotin, Washington on February 13, 1920 and moved to California as a child. He was one of seven children of Sida Sedalia and Nella Mae (Jones) Gordon. After living in Watsonville for five years, in 1940 the family moved to Santa Cruz, where Roy's parents continued to live for some thirty years until their deaths. In 1954 Roy earned a doctorate in geography from the University of California, Berkeley as a student of Carl Sauer. His doctoral thesis was "Human Geography and Ecology in the Sinú Country of Colombia." From 1955 to 1965 he was chair of the Department of Geography at the University of New Mexico. Until his retirement in 1990 he was a professor of geography and human environmental studies at San Francisco State University. Roy was also a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University (1953-54) and at the University of London, Queen Mary College (1962-63). One of his books, "Monterey Bay Area: Natural History and Cultural Imprints," was a tribute to the fifty years that he lived in Santa Cruz. At the age of 89 he published his final book, "Chemical Arts and Technologies of Indigenous Americans," which began as a compilation of field notes he had made over a period of fifty years. He was a strong supporter of conservation efforts such as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Año Nuevo Natural Preserve. Roy thoroughly enjoyed teaching and mentoring his students, some of whom became life-long friends. He loved nothing more than taking his students on field trips, naming the various native and introduced plant species along the way, and calling attention to the impact of humans on the environment. The family has continued to receive letters from former students expressing gratitude for Roy's influence on their academic careers. Roy's wife, Myra Lovisa (Tweed) Gordon, lived for only four days after he died; Roy passed one day short of their 74th wedding anniversary (see Myra's obituary). He is survived by his children, Anna Louise Gordon (Dr. Joanne Scheibman); Dr. Karen Joyce Gordon-Grube (Prof. Christian Grube); Dr. Robin Alan Gordon (Dorothee [Prause] Gordon); and Janice Ellen (Gordon) von Arnim (Martin Klinkott); grandchildren Katherine Maria Elena Córdova, Dixie Karin Grube, Rosemary Lynn Córdova, Deborah von Arnim, and David Christoph von Arnim; and great-grandchildren John Patrick Stewart Dalton, Isabel Teresa Bliss Dalton, and Lazaro Santiago Córdova-Rivero. Roy is also survived by a brother, Robert Stanley Gordon, and several nieces and nephews. Per his wishes, no public service will be held; he will be laid to rest at Santa Cruz Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cabrillo College Stroke and Disability Center or the Elkhorn Slough Foundation.