Douglas A. Gordon

Douglas Arthur Gordon (5/12/1950 – 4/12/ 2024)

Douglas Arthur Gordon, of Forest Lake, Minnesota; passed away peacefully surrounded by family on April 12, 2024. Doug was born to Leonard Gordon and Gwen Mayer (née Verdick) on May 12, 1950. Doug grew up on the East Side of Saint Paul and graduated from Harding High School in 1968. After graduation, Doug enlisted in the United States Army and proudly served in Korea during the Vietnam War.

After an honorable discharge from the Army, Doug made a special trip back to his home church to present to church youth about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. While there, Doug re-connected with an acquaintance from high school and church named Marion Keefer. After a six-month courtship, they got engaged and were married on September 29, 1973. Doug and Mari moved to Wyoming, Minnesota where they raised their three children, Leah, Chad, and Sarah. Doug obtained his operating engineer license and held positions at American Hoist and Old Home before being employed by 3M where he worked for thirty years until his retirement.

Doug truly enjoyed the outdoors and taught his wife, friends, children, and grandchildren about the importance of appreciating while observing and respecting the natural world. In 1996, Doug and Mari moved to Forest Lake where they live on Lake Sylvan. Doug loved watching the loons and swans and feeding the fish off his dock. They also own property in Hinckley, Minnesota, and they enjoyed weekend visits to their land to sit around a campfire with dear friends and family. Doug often said his favorite two sounds in the world were those of the loons that reside on his lake home in Forest Lake and the sound of the wind rustling the leaves on his property in Hinckley.

Doug is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Marion; children, Leah (Beau), Chad (Mandee), Sarah Ludwig and Kyle Ludwig; mother, Gwendolyn Mayer; brothers, Donald (Linda) Clark and Duane Clark; grandchildren, Landon, Wyatt, and Grady; sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Leonard Gordon, and siblings, Debra Clark and Dwight Clark. 

Visitation will be held from 1:00-4:00 p.m., Sunday, April 28, 2024 at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake, Minnesota.  Funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m., Monday at Lord of the Lakes Lutheran Church, 25402 Itasca Avenue, Chisago City, Minnesota (with visitation one hour prior). A private interment will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery later this summer. Memorials preferred to the Regions Hospital Foundation in support of the Cancer Care Center or the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (WRC) in Roseville, Minnesota.