Former Puslinch Township councillor, fire chief and firefighter Robert Gordon is being remembered as a "gentleman's gentleman."
Mr. Gordon died this weekend at Guelph General Hospital. He was 82.
Mr. Gordon was a firefighter for 45 years and became fire chief in 2008. He also previously served as a town councillor.
When councillor Matthew Bulmer was first elected in 2000, Gordon was deputy fire chief and chair of the planning advisory committee. Bulmer described Gordon as a “gentleman’s gentleman.”
“He had that firm gentle hand on that committee,” Bulmer said. “He kept order but made everybody who came before him as a delegation feel welcome in the space. He was a great guy to serve with and then he moved on to fire chief.”
Bulmer also described him as having the exact kind of presence that a firefighter should have.
“He exuded that everything is going to be okay and that’s what you want in a firefighter and chief,” Bulmer said. “You want someone who exudes that confidence, calmness and everything is going to be okay and that’s how he always came across. That’s how he chaired his meetings as chief of the fire department.”
Mr. Gordon was not just a firefighter, he was also a farmer for all of his life.
“People often took equipment to him to fix and he’s well known for being a great mechanic, there was nothing he couldn’t fix,” Bulmer said.
Gordon leaves behind two siblings, three children, four grandchildren and a great-grandchild. A tree will be planted in his memory in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest, University of Guelph Arboretum. A celebration of life will be held at the Puslinch Community Centre on March 8 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
