The Passing of a “True Renaissance Man”

By: Robert Rockefeller
Staff Writer

C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University recently suffered a great loss when the life of Professor Paul Gordon was tragically cut short after an automobile accident that took place on the afternoon of Tuesday September 14. He was 65.

Gordon was a resident of Jericho, N.Y. and had been teaching at C.W. Post since 2004 as an adjunct professor in the College of Education and Information Sciences. Steven Silverman, a fellow adjunct professor of Computer and Information Sciences, was a friend of Gordon for 25 years and distinctly recollects the unique qualities Gordon exhibited as a person.

“I was shocked,” said Silverman, “There were about 600-800 people from all over the country that came to his funeral; everybody had a story to tell about him.”

In addition, Prof. Silverman fondly remembers the rare and special relationship Prof. Gordon shared with his students. He did things that you’d think only parents did.  Silverman solidifies that Gordon was a big believer in education when he mentioned how Gordon was there for his pupils.

“Paul flew to South Dakota to see one his students graduate,” said Silverman.  Professor Gordon was very active. He taught chemistry and biology, rode a motorcycle and coached baseball.

“Paul loved teaching at Post,” said Silverman. “He enjoyed helping others and made everyone want to be all they could be. He was made to be a teacher. He was my friend.”

Paul had a large family but no children. “The students were his children and he treated them as such,” Silverman said. A scholarship will be set up in memory of Gordon by his spouse in the Syosset school district.