Brian Earl Gordon

The Scripture from Ecclesiastes 3:2-8 speaks of “A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.”

Brian was born Dec 20,1951 in Ft. Benning, GA, to Francis Bernard Gordon and Margaret Elaine Raff Gordon. He died at Elizabeth House Hospice Facility, North Carolina on August 11, 2026 with his wife, Beth Gordon at his bedside.

He is preceded in death by his parents, and his daughter Meredith Dan. He is survived by his wife Genny Beth Gordon, daughter Whitney Dan Sneed (Eric), granddaughter Riley Elizabeth Sneed, son John Kenneth Gordon (Carissa) and grandsons Luke and Logan, two brothers, Joseph Goldstein, and Dr. Thomas Goldstein.

Just a few weeks after he was born in an Army Hospital, he and his mother would be on a ship headed to Germany to be with his father. Thus began his childhood journey of living in many states and attending many schools. But he always considered Mulhall, OK as his homebase. His maternal Grandparents lived there, and summers were spent exploring, hunting and fishing with his grandfather, and eating the best pies made by his grandmother who owned the local café! It was not surprising he returned to the neighboring town, Stillwater, OK to attend College. Go Cowboys!

Brian graduated Oklahoma State University in 1977 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine. Thus began the planting stage of his life. Dr. Brian Gordon, or as many knew him, “Doc”, began his career as a Large and Small Animal veterinarian in Midwest City and Choctaw, Oklahoma. He had skilled, steady hands and by ensuring fair treatment for all animals and clients, regardless of status or background, Brian became well known in the various communities he served in Oklahoma. He is said to have never refused to treat an animal due to someone’s lack of ability to pay for the services. He always worked something out. Caring for animals was not simply his profession – it was part of who he was and a defining purpose of his life’s work.

After 12 years in private practice, Brian received a NIH grant to attend The University of Texas Southwest Medical Center to become Board Certified in Laboratory Medicine. He was recruited by Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, NC to fill the position of Director of Comparative Medicine. This began his life devoted to Medical Research. He continued his role as Director of Comparative Medicine at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, Max Planck Institute, Jupiter, FL, The University of Texas at Galveston, TX. and consulted at many different research facilities and universities.

He served on multiple NIH Scientific and Technical Review Boards for Biomedical and Behavioral Research Facilities and had over 20 peer-reviewed articles in top scientific journals, focusing on spine, bone, and neurological research. He retired from medical research in 2015, but continued working as a veterinarian in different capacities, until he became ill and was no longer able.

In 2019, Brian began his time to pluck up that which was planted. He and Beth officially retired and moved to Lake Lure, NC. This was where he found comfort and serenity in this beautiful mountain community.

A very special thank you to Kirby Hopkins, Brian’s brother-in-law. Kirby made it possible for Brian to remain at home until his final days. Kirby is a true “gentle giant” and cared for Brian accordingly. Beth and Whitney are eternally grateful for his assistance and humor during the last month.

In one of Brian’s final moments of clarity, he expressed a deeply held wish: he wanted to do something meaningful for animal welfare. In lieu of flowers, Brian’s family invites those wishing to honor his memory to donate to Lil’s Thrift Shop, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for local animal welfare organizations. These donations will help Lil’s Thrift Shop toward its current $10,000 fundraising campaign, allowing his final wish to live on by helping provide care, comfort and hope to vulnerable animals in the community. 305 Buffalo Creek Road, Lake Lure, NC 28746 or Donate online: https://lillsthriftshop.org

A Celebration of Life will be held August 24, 2026 at 11:00 am

The Event Center

2120 Rutherford Road

Marion NC 28752

(Next door to Countryside BBQ, Brian’s Favorite place to eat!)

A final tribute will be held in Oklahoma at a later date.