Saturday, January 7, 2023
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Gordon and Pam Kendall were some of the first friends I made in Roanoke when I moved here in 1980. Pam worked at a candy store on the market, and I worked at Fallon Florist downtown. A common interest in crafting made us fast friends, and soon I was introduced to Gordon.We participated n the Roanoke Chili Cookoff together, and remained friends after I joined the Navy. Even though I left the valley for work reasons, Gordon and Pam and I stayed in touch.
Many years later, Gordon and Pam were instrumental in finding me a suitable house to move back to Roanoke. Gordon went to open houses while I still lived in Arkansas to see if any would fit my needs. He and Pam found me the perfect place, and helped me get moved in. It was in Wasena, within walking distance of the Kendall’s. Gordon would stop by on his almost daily walks around the neighborhood.
When Covid hit, I was in poor health due to other things, and was in the VA hospital for an extended time. Gordon came to my house every day to feed and care for my cats, and when one of them died while I was hospitalized, he gave Bogey full honors in my back yard. After I came home, he kept walking over to check on me and take care of the litter boxes and my trash bins. I could never have repaid him for the kindnesses and true friendship he showed me through the years.
Gordon was the ultimate cat daddy. I’ll never forget how he found a tiny injured kitten at the Ironto rest stop back when he was a traveling technician and took it to the vet to have its broken leg repaired. I called to ask how the new kitten, Spike, was doing. “Playing jai alai in the bathtub with his cast,” Gordon said. He never met a cat he couldn’t befriend.
Gordon also could strike up a conversation with anyone. If you went anywhere with G$, be prepared to wait a bit because he could wax poetically on about any subject. Whether it was pets or politics, wine or world events, he’d have an opinion. No matter what the subject, you’d always enjoy his company.
All those who knew him, are missing him.
