Obituary of Dr. Dean W. Gordon

After 88 well-lived and well-loved years, Dr. Dean W. Gordon of Ocala, Florida passed away due to natural causes on August 31, 2021.

He was born on August 2, 1933 to the late Dean and Margaret Gordon. Although born in Philadelphia, Dr. Gordon was a proud and patriotic southern gentleman who loved God, his country, his family, his dogs, and college football- though that order was subject to change on Saturdays in the Fall.

In his younger years, Dr. Gordon attended the Bolles School of Jacksonville, FL, which was a private military boarding school at the time.  He was a scholastic high achiever and outstanding all-around athlete, most notably in football. This led him to be awarded a full scholarship to Arizona, where he played football for 2 years prior to transferring to Ohio Wesleyan, a family school for three generations in Delaware, OH, and where he was initiated into the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.  From there, he continued his studies at University of Louisville Dental School and upon graduation, chose to specialize in Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery.  He started training at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, FL before being drafted into the United States Air Force in June of 1959.  He served on active duty for 10 years, before leaving to complete additional surgical training at University of Alabama, Birmingham where he met his beloved wife of 50 years, Judi.  They were married Sept of 1970 and moved to Ocala, FL in 1971 where he opened the first Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery practice in Ocala.  Dr. Gordon was proud to have served his community for 40 years and 3 generations of patients.  While in private practice, Dr. Gordon completed 10 additional years of reserve duty at MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. 

Rather than retaining his medical equipment for sentimental reasons upon retiring from Oral Surgery, Dr. Gordon wished to see the tools of his vocation utilized to help others and donated them to clinics in third-world nations to alleviate the pain of patients long suffering in poverty-stricken areas.  Dr. Gordon belonged to a multitude of professional organizations and served as a delegate to the Florida Dental Congress for several terms. He also enjoyed membership in the Ocala Elks Lodge #286 and the Ocala Quarterback Club.

He is survived by his devoted wife Judi and their daughter, Dr. Dana Gordon, who followed in his footsteps to serve in the advancement of medical science and patient care.  He also has two sons, Michael and Darryl Gordon of Florida, by a previous marriage.  A graveside service for Dr. Dean W. Gordon will be held at 2:00pm on Wednesday, September 8 at Highland Memorial Park.  Online condolences may be left at hiers-baxley.com.