By Wendi Taylor, Member, South Central Pennsylvania Group
The first thing that comes to mind when members of the South Central Group (formerly the Governor Pinchot Group) think of Rich Gordon is Sierra Club calendars. He orchestrated more calendar sales over the years than any single member of the Group, and raised considerable earnings for the Sierra Club.. Maybe Gordon enjoyed the calendars for their elegant desert scenes, beautiful skies, or majestic mountains. He loved nature and the creatures that lived in it. Or maybe he wanted to make sure that the proper sales tax was paid to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he worked as a CPA.
Many may not remember that Rich also served as treasurer of the Pennsylvania Chapter for several years before relinquishing the post in January 2005.
Rich was raised in suburban Pittsburgh. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 1972, he married Patricia Cawley and they had two children, Meredith and Ian. The couple moved to the Harrisburg area after Rich took a job with the state government. He lost his wife in 2016.
Rich was known for his love of music – all kinds – the game of golf, and care for the environment. It was his love of the Earth that led him to become involved in the Sierra Club. He served on the group’s executive committee for more than a decade.
This blog was included as part of the April 2025 Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition.