For several years, Gordon was the administrative assistant to the astronomy department where I was first a graduate student and then a research scientist. Owing to his father’s profession, Gordon traveled a lot as a child, and grew up in England, Belgium, Germany, and Russia. He was a connoisseur of European museums, he held dual degrees in military history and Japanese, and he spoke many languages fluently. Gordon was one of the most intelligent, knowledgeable, and educated people I knew.
I never really understood why someone with his prodigious knowledge and talents chose to work as an assistant to the assistant to the chairman of an astronomy department, but I’m glad he did.
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