John Gordon, Sr., Vice Chairman Emeritus of Gordon Food Service, passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at home, following a courageous battle with Alzheimer\u2019s. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Nancy, son John, Jr. (Amy) and daughter Sue Rollo, seven grandchildren: David, Katie, and Will Gordon; Michael, Melissa, Nicole, and Jennifer Rollo; and one great-grandson, Mateo Rollo. John is also survived by his sister Lois (Bill) Lanning, and sisters-in-law Beth and Dottie Gordon, Pam Schmidt, and Marge McGehee. John was preceded by his brothers, Paul (d. 2008) and Phil (d. 2013).<\/p>\n
For more than 65 years, John served as a strong and caring leader of his family\u2019s business, passionately committed to the needs and interests of its customers and employees. Working in close partnership with his brother, Paul Gordon, they were instrumental in pioneering innovations that transformed their family\u2019s small, regional grocery supplier into a multi-billion dollar, multi-national leader in foodservice distribution, with more than 20,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada. John\u2019s unwavering commitment to serving his family\u2019s business remained a central part of his life into his 90s, as he continued to come into his office almost daily.<\/p>\n
Born April 29, 1928, the third son of Ben and Ruth Gordon, John\u2019s passion for boating and his reputation as a sailor were established in his youth, an early display of the joyful energy that would characterize his life. He also enjoyed hunting and fishing. Following college and service in the U.S. Army, John joined Gordon Food Service in 1953, beginning his hands-on immersion in virtually every aspect of the business, including sales, purchasing, and operations. He was named the company\u2019s Secretary and Treasurer in 1965, and went on to champion the company\u2019s pioneering Employee Profit Sharing Plan. John became Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1991. Without the decades of powerful, visionary leadership provided in partnership with his brother Paul, the company would not have achieved its remarkable record of growth and industry-changing innovations.<\/p>\n
Dave Gray, a member of the company\u2019s Board of Directors, noted, \u201cJohn Gordon\u2019s leadership over six decades left his mark on our company, our industry and our community in so many different ways. He taught us all how to be fair but firm and above all, to appreciate the gifts that God has given us. John loved the people of Gordon Food Service and never missed the opportunity to say thank you for their service. It is now our turn to say thank you to John for the wonderful business he has entrusted to our care.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the love and respect of his family, friends, and the people of Gordon Food Service, John was recognized for his business achievements with the Ernst & Young West Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2004. He also proudly served on the board of the Porter Hills Foundation and the Alma College President\u2019s Advisory Council. John also served as a deacon and an elder of Eastminster Presbyterian Church.<\/p>\n
John humbly and devoutly believed that God\u2019s grace was his greatest reward and held his faith most precious, followed closely by his deep love for his immediate and extended family, including the people of Gordon Food Service. Together they now celebrate his life and lasting impact on so many\u2014and the greater reward that awaits him.<\/p>\n
Since 1897, we have delivered uncompromising quality and heartfelt service for our customers. We began as a simple butter-\u00adand-\u00adegg delivery service, and have grown to become the largest family business in the foodservice industry by upholding the same approach for over 120 years\u2014remaining passionately committed to the people we serve. Today, we serve foodservice operators in the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest regions of the United States and coast-\u00adto-\u00adcoast in Canada. We also operate more than 175 Gordon Food Service Store locations in the U.S., which are open to the public and provide restaurant-\u00adquality products and friendly, knowledgeable service without a membership fee. By partnering with organizations from across industries\u2014healthcare to education, independent and chain restaurants, and event planners\u2014we help our customers create food experiences that people choose, enjoy, and remember.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
John Gordon, Sr., Vice Chairman Emeritus of Gordon Food Service, passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at home, following a courageous battle with Alzheimer\u2019s. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Nancy, son John, Jr. (Amy) and daughter Sue Rollo, seven grandchildren: David, Katie, and Will Gordon; Michael, Melissa, Nicole, and Jennifer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":10724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsroom"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n