Shirley Blom Gordon
February 26, 1922 - September 20, 2008
Obituary
Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, 1922-2008
Former President, Highline Community College
‘Distinguished educator who devoted her life to teaching’
Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, a nationally esteemed educator who served on President Reagan’s National Commission on Excellence in Education, died September 20 in Burien. Washington. She was 86.
Born Edith Shirley Blom in Bremerton, Washington, in 1922, Dr. Gordon was the only child of Waldamar and Edith M. Sterns Blom.
She held bachelors, masters, and PhD degrees from Washington State University and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Seattle University. She was the recipient of Washington State University’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1992.
Dr. Gordon was a founder of Highline Community College where she served as one of the early faculty members, Director of Curriculum, and Vice President before serving as President of the college from 1976-1990. In 1985 she was named Communicator of the Year for the national community college public relations organization, National Council for Community Relations. During her tenure as president, she was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges AACC. In 2006, Dr. Gordon became only the third female to receive AACC’s National Leadership Award. She was one of only 18 educators, and the only community college representative, asked to serve on President Reagan’s National Commission and was a major contributor for the Commission’s report, ‘A Nation at Risk’.
For 20 years Dr. Gordon was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Phi Theta Kappa, the international academic honor society for community colleges, which awarded her International Honorary Membership and established in her honor the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction presented to outstanding community college presidents. She was a member of the Highline Medical Center’s Board of Directors for 29 years, serving as Board Chair for two terms; the Board of Directors for Judson Park Retirement Community for over 20 years; and the Sea-Tac Forum, Port of Seattle. Dr. Gordon served on the Board of Directors of Leadership Tomorrow and Central Puget Sound Economic Development District.
She was a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority and Iota Sigma Pi, national chemistry honor society. She was a communicant of St. Columba’s Episcopal Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Shirley B. Gordon Scholarship Fund, Highline Community College Foundation – MS 99-248, 2400 S. 240th, Des Moines, WA 98198, and/or the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Foundation, 1625 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS 39211.
A program celebrating Dr. Gordon’s ‘Legacy of Excellence’ will be held at 11 am, Saturday, October 4, in the Artists-Lecture Center; Building 7, on the campus of Highline Community College, South 240th and Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, Washington.
For additional information, call 206 -878-3710, ext. 3390.
Shirley has been our friend and neighbor for 40 years.
We will miss her kind, considerate
presence. Our community has been blessed by her caring and public service.
God will welcome her in heaven!
Shirl was a great friend of our family. My mom, Betty Skidmore, first met Shirl in September, 1946 when she came to Colville to teach while her husband Tom was in the Air Force. My mom and Shirl had a wonderfully long friendship. Mom had talked to Shirl on the phone weekly for the past few months.
A salute to a talented teacher, a college administrator, one of the first women college presidents, and a nationally recongnized educator. It was a privilige to be a friend and a member of her staff.
Shirley always talked with me when I was waiting outside my dad’s office at Highline. Usually I was reading one of my high school books and Shirley asked me penetrating questions and encouraged me to always think more and more deeply. She was a great inspiration!