Kevin Gordon

Kevin Gordon was born in 1955 to D. Keith and Shirley Gordon. He was raised in Waterman, IL-where he later raised his own children, Khloe and Kooper, with his wife of 30 years, Karin (Dolan). He worked as a pipefitter with Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 597 for over 30 years after teaching himself to weld and working his way to the position of superintendent. He died on May 16, 2021 at the age of 65. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, sister-Sandra, brother-in-law-Dennis, and nephew-Aaron; he will be greatly missed by his wife and children, sister-Sherry, son-in-law-Stephen, and great niece-Emma along with 9 nieces and nephews and many friends. Kevin was first and foremost a patient, supportive, and dedicated father and husband. He was an unwaveringly faithful and loyal husband, and as a proud parent, his top priority was being present for and attentive to his family; he never missed a single sports game, dance recital, or music rehearsal. He was always an exceedingly selfless man with a plan, and worked hard to provide for his family and to give them the experiences that he never had for himself. He was also a father figure to many beyond his own kids, and his positive attitude and reassuring presence will be greatly missed. He was known far and wide for his charismatic, goofy sense of humor and his uncanny ability to make friends wherever he went by making people feel important, no matter who it was. He loved to bring life to the party, but never cared to be the center of attention. Nothing made him happier than making people laugh and serving his family, friends, community, and church-of which he was a trustee and member for 26 years. Many will remember his tendency to socialize for several hours after church ended, to the point that his family would walk home while he chatted. His kindness and generosity touched many throughout his life; one of his favorite pastimes was mowing the lawn for his neighbors and church and relocating neighborhood squirrels. Everyone who knew Kevin knew that they could depend on him. Kevin will also be remembered for his love of sweets, his dog-Rowdy, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies, and It's a Wonderful Life. In fact, his family had grown accustomed to watching It's a Wonderful Life on repeat during the month of December. He had an eclectic taste in music ranging from Shaggy and Maroon 5 to Jimmy Buffet, Bob Marley, and Steely Dan. He was also very creative, and loved creating metal and woodwork for family and friends. A visitation will be held from 11-1 pm on Saturday, May 22 at the Waterman United Methodist Church, with funeral service at 1 pm at the church and burial at North Clinton Cemetery. For any who wish to express their sympathies, the family is accepting charitable donations that will be donated to fund glioblastoma research. If anyone has special memories or photos of Kevin that they wish to share with the family, they would love to see them. They can be sent to sksgordon@gmail.com or submitted here.