BANGOR – Leon E. Gordon Jr. finally found peace Dec. 11, 2009, with his two daughters by his side. He was born Aug. 5, 1931, in Bangor, to Leon E. Gordon Sr. and Alice (McGuire) Gordon. His mother died in childbirth leaving his grandmother, Ethel Cort, the arduous task of raising him. Dad was never a conventional man or a conformist. He defied authority at every opportunity. He started smoking when he was 9 and stealing cars by 12. He made more than one trip to reform school before he entered the Army at 17 at the “suggestion” of a judge. He served in the Korean War, where he was a golden gloves boxing champion. He was wounded in service, received the Purple Heart and discovered his true vocation in life as a cook. When he returned home, it didn’t take him long to find trouble. He was the get-away driver in a heist in Bangor where he became known as “The Ginger-Ale Bandit.” He graduated from “Thomaston Tech” five years later and a whole lot wiser. He owned and operated numerous restaurants in Maine, New Hampshire and Florida. He was the owner of the infamous Mainely New-England restaurant in Zephyrhills, Fla., for 15 years before he sold it and retired. He was a truly gifted chef who could make anything taste good. His dream was to drop dead in a kitchen. Dad was still quite the vagabond. He never stayed in one place for very long. He married and divorced several times, fathered three daughters and raised a son he considered his own. He lost his eldest daughter, Christine, just shy of her 16th birthday and he was never the same. Dad always said he loved dogs more than people which was true, however he was full of compassion for others. He would give away anything he had if someone needed it more than him. He brought strangers home to live with us if they were down on their luck and had no place to go. He was a very hard worker who always made sure his family had a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. He loved camping, fishing and mountain climbing, and made many wonderful memories with his children taking them along on his adventures. He was an incredible singer who sang Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole songs better than they did. He could’ve been famous. He was a colorful character whose stories would captivate all those who heard them. He is survived by his daughters, Lisa Eve Gordon and her three children, Timothy “T.J,” Ciara and Summer, and Jolene Fennessy and her daughters, Amber and Michelle; and the son he loved and raised as his own, Tomas Verrill and his three children, Josh, Erin and Molly. He was aptly named “Grumpy Grandpa” by his granddaughter, Ciara, and it suited him perfectly. He was predeceased by his daughter, Christine, whom he adored. He will be buried beside her, which is where he always said he wanted to be. A private service will be held for him on Father’s Day. There’s just three things in this whole world worth a solitary dime. It’s old dogs and children and watermelon wine. Rest in peace, Daddy!
LEON E. GORDON JR.
