Shireen Mayeri's Tribute to Dave Gordon

It might be I was the last friend from the Berkeley years to see Dave Gordon before he died.  I received an invitation from him  to attend his mother's Memorial Service in September, 1994.  I was elated to be invited.  I believe I was the only friend he invited from Oxford School or high school for that matter.

Earlier in the year I wrote a note to Mrs. Gordon, his mother.  I knew that years before (1962 or thereabouts) she was elected to the Berkeley City Council, as the first democrat.  She was a continuing, active member of  the Berkeley Democratic Club.  I was asked to run for City Council that year and was elected to the Berkeley Democratic Board around that time.  I wanted to asked her questions and to meet with her.  I didn't know at the time she was dying from Cancer.

Dave greeted me at service very warmly and it was good to see him and his brother.  This particular day was quite an event of Gordon family friends.  The service was held in the Alumni House on the Berkeley Campus.  None other than Clark Kerr officiated!  Dave spoke and so did his wife.  There were several remembrances of his mother's  Irish background, of his father's Jewish heritage.  I remember clearly he was crying as he spoke most affectionately about his mom, his father, and his brother.  The gathering was not just remembering his mom, but stories about the father and compliments to both sons.  Little did any of us know at that time -- that only one brother was to carry out the family tradition in Economics.

Dave's appearance was pale and thin and I thought he must be a runner.  I never thought to ask him otherwise.   I had no idea that he was having major heart problems at that time, or did I know he'd inherited his father's heart condition.

After learning of Dave's  death in '96, Sue Huchinson Self, who was a good friend of Robert's (from Oxford) and at the mother's service told me that Dave's heart almost limited his flying out for his mother's memorial. I believe it was around this time or soon after they were actively looking for a heart donor for him.

Following the service he wanted to know how my family was, and how students were doing at Berkeley High. He brought up Bill Gatewood and AIDS, and asked if I had I seen him. He wanted to know who I was in touch with from the high school years.

He was his usual confident self, very articulate and poised. And quite interested in his hometown of Berkeley politics et al.   Wasn't he the guy we all expected to run for President someday?  His politics were definitely Berkeley; liberal and caring for those who have less.  All of us growing up in Berkeley had such great plans for him, didn't we?

-Shireen

This was originally an e-mail correspondence to Jimmy Dean