Mark David Gordon

Mark David Gordon,74, of Oro Valley, AZ and part-time resident of Port Tobacco, MD, passed away peacefully on December 9, 2023, surrounded by his family at Charles Regional Hospital in La Plata, MD, following a valiant battle against pancreatic cancer and multiple strokes. Mark was born July 29, 1949, in Gary, IN, to Carl and Elinore Gordon. The family relocated to Douglas, AZ, where Mark grew up and attended Douglas High School. Representing the Bulldogs, he achieved the rank of third top tennis player in the state of Arizona. Mark always enjoyed music. He sang and played the guitar and performed as Will Parker in the school’s musical production of Oklahoma. At an early age his fascination with electronics began. Upon graduation, Mark attended the University of Arizona, Tucson, where he studied electrical engineering and met his future wife at an outdoor dance on campus. They went on to share 54 happy years together and three children. When Mark paused his university education, he was activated in the Naval Reserves and entered the service as an Electronics Technician. Among his duty stations, he joined the commissioning crew of the U.S.S. Santa Barbara, a nuclear ammunition supply ship, taking him from the naval shipyards in Portsmouth, VA, to a homeport in Davisville, RI. On the ship’s shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, he discovered what a poor sailor this boy from the desert was, becoming severely seasick with each departure. Upon reenlistment and desiring to serve sea duty on land with his young family with him, he chose to attend schooling in crypto repair in NJ then to serve a two-year tour of duty in Keflavik, Iceland. There he became active in the Island (Iceland) Rovers Club and set out with his family and a small group of adventurers driving through the interior of Iceland, exploring remote areas, camping between dormant volcanoes and magnificent waterfalls. He also participated in the Ice & Fire Theatre Group and sang in a barbershop quartet. His next tour took him to a NATO school in Latina, Italy, south of Rome, to study satellite systems. Weekends became devoted to more sightseeing adventures in Italy and Europe with the family before finally departing and reporting for duty at NSGA Northwest, VA. Having completed several degrees, Mark left the service to work as a government contractor in Northern Virginia. He held an associate degree in Electronics Engineering from Northern Virginia Community College, a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from New York University, and a Masters degree in Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech. He also taught as a teaching assistant at Old Dominion University. Over the years, Mark worked for various corporations including Sperry, TRW, and Northrop Grumman which in time took him to Aurora, CO, where he retired. He enjoyed a “twilight” career at Honeywell, in Oro Valley, AZ, as a systems engineer working on airplane obsolescence. In retirement, Mark & his wife became snowbirds, dividing their time between Arizona and her family’s homestead in Port Tobacco, MD. Mark enjoyed woodworking and carpentry and undertook major remodeling projects in several of the family’s homes. He loved a wide range of music, reading and watching SciFi/Fantasy stories and movies, and especially enjoyed disassembling and rebuilding computers. Mexican food was a passion as was a recent hobby of smoking meats. Mark is survived by his loving wife, Anita, daughter Kimberly Reeland (Brian), son Scott Gordon, son Chris Gordon (Misti), eight grandchildren – Sean Tilley (Danielle), Beau Tilley (Xueyan), Connor Tilley, Nicholas Reeland, James Reeland, Aidyn Gordon, Anastasia Rust, Eli Rust – and three great-grandchildren, Julian Tilley, Garrett Tilley, and Baby Girl Tilley soon to be born. Visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, December 28, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Raymond Funeral Service Chapel, 5635 Washington Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646. Interment will follow at 12:00 noon at St. Ignatius Church, 8855 Chapel Point Rd, Port Tobacco, MD 20677. A repast in Mark’s honor will immediately follow at the historic Port Tobacco Courthouse, 8430 Commerce St., Port Tobacco, MD 20677. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Mark’s name may be made to American Stroke Association, PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692 or online at https://www.stroke.org or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 200 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 or online at https://pancan.org/.

Mark David Gordon

July 29, 1949 - December 9, 2023