Pacific Grove

James Christopher Gordon passed away on August 29, 2023, at age 78. He is survived by his wife, Jane (Okuma) and daughter, Mika; his sister Jane (Wittmann), husband Will and children, Gordon and Emily; his late brother Tim’s widow Donna (Mickleson) and daughter Megan (Gordon-Turner) and husband Travis; his late brother Bill’s widow, Carol and his children Jennifer, late nephew Andy, Kelly and their families.

“Chris” was born in Salinas, CA, on March 10, 1945, to Max and Harriet Gordon of Salinas, CA. He attended Salinas schools, where he was on the high school swim, water polo and debate teams and in school plays. He formed a folk trio and played guitar and sang. He graduated from Chico State (1967) and UC Davis (1969), where he and fellow swim team members went on to routinely medal in their meets and set school records.

His love of surfing began around the early 60s when he surfed up and down the California coast and the waters of Mexico. He was a gifted and beloved educator from Washington Union Elementary School in Salinas, followed by teaching ESL in Chinatown, San Francisco, and as a lecturer to Stanford’s International Students.

Besides being a passionate surfer, he was an avid reader with an insatiable appetite for history and politics. His love of music, especially Latin Jazz, Blues, reggae, and rock, cultivated his pursuit of playing the guitar, conga drums and the piano. He began as a graphic artist but found his true love and talent in painting, especially Day of the Dead surfing scenes and of his beloved ocean.

Whether it was on a sandy beach or a formal attire event, Chris was determined to wear one of his many coveted Hawaiian shirts, often with a Scottish newsboy cap.

His love of adventure and travel took him around the world to explore Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Cuba, Costa Rica, Scotland, Ireland, England, France, Italy and Japan as well as hitchhiking across the United States in his wild and crazy days.

Throughout his life, Chris demonstrated kindness, loyalty, enthusiasm, and integrity. He cultivated deep friendships from all walks of life. His love of family and friends was what he valued above all. Most of all, his sense of humor touched everyone. That’s the one quality that all of his friends remember the most and cherish about him.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Archway of Carmel, 3262 Taylor Road, Carmel, CA 93923, or Monterey Peninsula Buddhist Temple (MPBT), 1155 Noche Buena St., Seaside, CA 93955. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 on December 16, 2023 at MPBT.