Edward Gordon
July 25, 1964 - Aug. 18, 2020 Austin, Texas
Edward Mason Gordon, a Bay Area native, died at home in Austin, Texas in the loving arms of his husband James David Bartsch Aug. 18, 2020. Eddie attended Hansen and Dilworth Elementary schools in Saratoga and San Jose, Miller Junior High in San Jose and graduated from San Jose’s Lynbrook High School in 1982. He was born July 25, 1964 at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City.
Eddie was a remarkable man whose love for the band Rush and for the natural world around him were only matched by his love for his family and friends. Eddie was affectionately known by family and friends as Itchy Brother, Little Eddie, Uncle Eddie, Uncle Jeddy, Sunshine, Sunflower, Tweetie and Baby. And anybody who met Eddie has an Eddie story.
Eddie’s memory of song lyrics was matched by very few, and his enthusiasm for the art of music rubbed off on those who were close to him. He attended 27 Rush concerts in his lifetime and the freedom of music helped soothe him through difficult times before his death. Rush once sang that “Life is like a garden that you need to nurture and protect” and Eddie paired that with an influential quote from Mr. Rogers that said “Be gentle, kind and true.” Those two things combined made Eddie someone who espoused tolerance, respect and making people feel like they matter. He used his wittiness and love of laughter to draw people in and show them how much he valued them in his life.
Aside from song lyrics, Eddie was also a huge fan of the natural world around him. Many childhood memories were formed at Lake Berryessa, Lake Tahoe and Santa Cruz, and in his adult years he and James experienced places like Lake Travis, the Grand Canyon and Nantucket while taking numerous road trips.
Eddie worked at Axonics in Sunnyvale before his sister Frances convinced him to move to Little Rock, Ark., where he eventually enrolled at the University of Arkansas and graduated magna cum laude in 1989 with a degree in business administration. He was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Epsilon Phi. His career in retail saw him move to North Carolina before again moving to Texas, and he worked for Dillard’s, Belk and Mervyn’s. A trip to Austin captured Eddie’s adoration and he patiently waited for the right opportunity to set roots in the city. That came in 1997, and it was indeed the right move, for he was recruited to work for Bed, Bath & Beyond soon after, but most importantly, he met James eight months later - love at first sight.
Eddie and James were together for 22 years. They first married May 25, 2013 (the 15-year anniversary of the day they met) and seized the opportunity to marry in their home city July 4, 2015 - they wanted to be sure nobody could take that away!
Eddie is survived by his husband, James, and his sisters Frances (Gordon) Bapst of Jacksonville, Fla., Elizabeth (Gordon) Filitor of Woodstock, Ga., and Kathy (Gordon) Nielsen of Greenville, S.C. His parents Byron Benjamin Gordon and Elizabeth Joy Gordon preceded him in death, as did his brothers Douglas Michael, Martin Gerard and Kevin Thomas.
Edward Mason Gordon met every challenge he faced head on with dignity, strength and perseverance. He never complained about his circumstances. He made so many lives better for being here and being who he was. He loved mentoring, he encouraged others and he always accomplished his goals.
Lastly, reading was another of Eddie’s loves, and in his later years his sister Frances and James would read “Miss Suzy” to him. The story ends with Miss Suzy being at home, with everything in order and her looking up at a million stars, being at total peace - as Eddie is now.
Funeral arrangements are pending. You can contact alivingtribute.org and plant a tree in his honor, a touching tribute for a man who took so much joy from nature.