The cycling community lost a leader and friend Saturday morning when William J. Gordon pdied suddenly while biking with friends.
A Dublin resident, Bill was born Feb. 22, 1959 in Elyria, Ohio. He graduated from Huron High School in 1977, and from Ohio Northern University in 1981 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
The time of his death he was Events Director for Columbus Outdoor Pursuits leading bicycling activities including the Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV), the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA), and the Columbus Fall Challenge (CFC).
He also supported various local charity rides including Pedal-With-Pete, Tour de Cure, Bike Lady, Ridge Runner Ramble and Pelotonia. A member of Team Sociale, he enjoyed participating in biking events here in Ohio and in neighboring states.
Earlier in his career, Bill was an executive in the newspaper printing industry. He was National Sales Manager for Inland Newspaper Machinery Corp., VP of Sales and Trading for Ferag AG, VP and General Manager of Cincinnati Color Press, and Regional Sales Manager for Goss Graphic Systems, a division of Rockwell International.
He was preceded in death by his birth mother, Nancy Yarrington Gordon, and nephew, William Michael Gordon.
He is survived by his wife Julie Zickar Gordon, who he met while attending Ohio Northern; his son William Ryan Gordon; his daughter Abigail Katherine Gordon; his father and mother Richard J. and Linda K. Gordon, Dublin, Ohio; his two brothers, Scott Gordon (Samantha) Cincinnati, Ohio; Bryan Gordon (Megan) Dublin, Ohio; and his two sisters, Linda Hoptry (James) Medina, Ohio; Jennifer Duwel (Kyle) Dayton, Ohio, and his 11 nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be held at Rutherford Funeral Home at 450 West Olentangy Street, Powell, Ohio, on Friday, June 17 from 4 to 8 p.m. With a funeral mass on June 18, at 11 a.m. at Rutherford, and internment at Dublin Cemetery immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill’s memory to the following bicycling organizations:
Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA) http://goba.com/wordpress/ 1525 Bethel Road, Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43220 GOBA is a non-profit organizer of a yearly one week bicycle-camping tour, dedicated to inspiring independence and nurturing personal growth.
Bike Lady, Inc. www.bikelady.org PO Box 311, Blacklick, OH 43004 Bike Lady provides new bikes to Ohio foster children, who might otherwise never receive one.
Pedal-With-Pete, Inc. http://pedal-with-pete.org PO Box 1233, Worthington, OH 43085 The Pedal-With-Pete Foundation, also known for its signature bicycling events, was established to raise money for research to help prevent, treat, and even cure the effects of cerebral palsy.
Yay Bikes! www.yaybikes.com 82 E. 16th Street, Columbus, OH 43201 Yay Bikes! Works to influence the conditions that help people safely and comfortably ride bicycles for transportation.
