“You are the company you keep.” -Aesop
Judging by the immense outpouring of help and sympathy by family, neighbors and friends, Gordon Lund’s life can be remembered as long and fruitful.
Over the years he touched many with his outgoing personality, humor and concern for others. He was always willing to help a neighbor or support a family member in need. He never forgot a name. The fact that so many of these same people reached out to Gordon in his later years is a testament to the love and respect he earned.
He would never expect a Beatles quote in his obituary, but in celebrating his life, one cannot help but remember the words, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Gordon, age 88, was born on March 19, 1929 in Perth Amboy, N.J., in the midst of Prohibition and just before the Great Depression. Dr. Lund (no relation) delivered baby Gordon in a Sears Roebuck catalog home on Madison Avenue, in a predominantly Danish community.
Gordon (or “Square,” as he was known to friends) met the love of his life, Dorothy, at Perth Amboy High School and once serenaded her with a ukulele. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserves while in high school and enlisted in the U.S. Navy after his graduation in 1948.
In 1951, Gordon and Dorothy married and raised three devoted children. Gordon worked a variety of jobs–from Packard car mechanic to Sears salesman–before finding his true avocation selling industrial abrasives at Bay State Abrasives. While work often took him away from family, Gordon made sure they gathered for meals and church. He also proudly organized family vacations that tended to include historical sites, beaches, car games and Howard Johnsons.
A devout Lutheran, Gordon strived to embody the teachings of Jesus Christ and spread the word of God. He sang in the choir, served on council and helped build the “new” St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, Pa. In his later years, Gordon was an active member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springtown.
Gordon will be fondly remembered for his storytelling skills, love of fine living and music, gregarious personality and intellectual curiosity.
Gordon can be best remembered by his preference for the road less traveled. He often preferred to forsake the highway and take the back roads instead. The scenic was usually more appealing (and colorful) than the expedient.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Dorothy Adams Lund; his son Douglas and wife Gail; daughters Kjristine and Vanessa; grandson Tyler and wife Genriyetta; granddaughter, Casandra; great-grandsons Anders and Axel; niece Kathryn and her husband David; nephew William, his wife Linda, and their children Amber, Ariel and Jack. Gordon is also survived by his loyal, faithful companion, Gus.
