A Life of Generosity: Remembering Jim Gordon

Jim Gordon grew up in Lawrence, Long Island, and, after graduating from Cornell University, moved to Baltimore for law school—where he met his beloved Ann. When they married, Jim became step-father to Ann’s son, Holter, whom they raised together from early childhood. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in January 2009, Jim began learning about the disease and quickly found the MMRF.

In 2012 the MMRF chose Jim as the recipient of the Spirit of Hope Award, given to individuals who inspire hope with their perseverance in overcoming personal obstacles. “The last few years my family and I have grown closer and learned a lot about ourselves,” Jim said at the time. Even during Jim’s illness and treatment, he made sure to be there to help when Holter was diagnosed with leukemia—traveling to New York with Ann after getting his own treatments to help Holter’s wife care for him and to pass the time comparing treatments and watching the Ravens. 

Ann said that Jim was particularly drawn to the MMRF for its collaborative approach to its research efforts because that mirrored Jim’s own unselfish philosophy of life and how to run his business.

Though faced with a cancer diagnosis, Jim continued to enjoy all that life had to offer. “In the last year he was still physically able to do so,” Holter said, “Jim went into the Rockies with a trail crew and worked hard with saws and shears, camping along the trails they were clearing for other people to enjoy.”

Jim loved adventure. Shortly before his passing in January 2016, he took a cross-country road trip with a dear friend. “They went slowly,” Holter said, “taking in the secondary sights of the country, often detouring miles out of their meandering way to see some cultural oddity.

“I will always remember watching the Orioles with Jim,” Holter said. “He would turn on the TV, then mute it, and we would watch the game while listening to the radio broadcast. It made the games feel more genuine, more elegant in their simple grace … like Jim.”