Martha Gordon 1926-2004

YOUNG, PILKINGTON, GORDON

Posted By: michael (email)
Date: 7/7/2004 at 12:44:26

Martha (Pat) Young Pilkington Gordon, daughter of John and Martha Pilkington, born in Jacksonville, Florida, February 11, 1926, died at home Friday morning July 2, 2004.

A Celebration of Her Life will be held Sunday, July 11th at 4:00 PM at Hope United Methodist Church, 2929 E. Court Street in Iowa City.
Pat chose to deed her body to the University of Iowa Dept. of Anatomy.
Memorials may be directed to the church. A reception will follow the service at the church. Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service is in charge of arrangements.

Pat received her bachelor degree in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. In 1948 she married John R. Gordon. The first of five children was born in 1950. Her small family moved to Iowa City where John received his MFA at the University of Iowa (1952) and their second child was born. Pat moved her growing family to several states as well as Mexico while her husband followed teaching positions, eventually returning to Iowa City in 1985, where she could become more involved with her grandchildren.

Pat was an active member of Hope United Methodist Church in Iowa City, attending bible study classes, joining many church groups, and volunteering in Hope’s Garden Daycare. She freely donated her time to Wesley House Free Lunch Program and to the children at Willowwind School in Iowa City. Pat was known for her hand embroidered baby quilts that she gave as gifts to the new arrivals in her community of friends.

She enjoyed gardening indoors and out. Her appreciation and wealth of knowledge of nature grew constantly; sharing nature’s beauty with others was one of her passions. A vase of wild flowers picked from the side of a dirt road, or a few brightly colored fall leaves, was to Pat, a treasured gift.

Survivors include her children, Carol Ann Warmbier and her husband Terry of LuVerne, Iowa, Martha P. Gordon and her husband Dr. Frank Gersh of Iowa City, Mary Alice Gordon and her husband Dr. David Ramirez of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and Randy Gordon and his wife Mary of Des Moines, Iowa , nine grand children, her sister Grace Harper and her husband Joe of Panama City Beach, Florida and her brother Dr. John P. Pilkington and his wife Lolly of Oxford , Mississippi, and a daughter-in-law, Allison Gordon of Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, her former husband, two sisters, Honeywood and Alice, and her youngest son, Neal Briggs Gordon.

On line condolences may be directed to www.lensingfuneral.com