George Stanwood Gordon Jr., 90
George Stanwood Gordon Jr., 90, of Acton, passed away peacefully with family by his side on August 28, 2025, following a period of declining health.
George was born in Lynn, on January 8, 1935, to George Stanwood Gordon Sr. and Alma Langille Gordon. He was a 1953 graduate of Brooks School, North Andover. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957 with a bachelor’s in physics, from Columbia University in 1959 with a master’s in physics, and from MIT in 1962 with a doctorate in physics, cosmic rays.
George was active in MIT’s ROTC program and served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama, 1962-63, followed by six years in the U.S. Army Reserve.
George was married to Clarice (née Barrett) Gordon of St. Paul, Minnesota, for over 65 years. They raised five children in Lexington and later retired to Arlington and Acton. He loved spending time at their summer cottage at Lake Sunapee, New Hampshire, with his family and friends.
Following military service, George did post-doctoral work at MIT and then worked at Lincoln Laboratory (Hanscom Air Force Base) 1964-1976. He was on the research staff of the MIT Center for Space Research from 1977 until he retired in 1996. He worked on the MIT Plasma Scientific Investigation of the Voyager Project. Voyager I and Voyager II launched in 1977 and gathered data during planetary encounters, and Voyager I is still transmitting data from interstellar space. George’s skills were integral to downloading and distributing data that Voyager transmitted back to Earth, and he continued to assist with data retrieval into his retirement.
George loved to be out in nature and spent many hours walking in the woods and birding, and after retirement he took up whitewater kayaking both on New England rivers and on many trips to Chile. He traveled extensively with his parents and with his wife, Clare, particularly after retirement, including a four-month cruise of southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean islands, and Africa for their 50th wedding anniversary.
George had many interests and kept reading and taking courses lifelong. He loved sailing and canoeing, was a ham radio operator, held a private pilot’s license, was an enthusiastic photographer of his travels, and played classical guitar. George enjoyed home gardening, with a particular love of blueberries. George was an active member of University Lutheran Church in Cambridge from 1963 until his death. He had a deep faith and enjoyed Bible study groups and learning about other faiths. He was a kind and generous person, believing that God loves everyone equally and that we are caretakers of each other and our planet.
George was predeceased by his parents George S. Gordon Sr. and Alma Langille Gordon; his sister Alta Berridge and her husband Frank; brothers-in-law Orville Caswell, Joseph Bournique. and Philip Barrett; sister-in-law Karen Barrett; and daughter-in-law Elizabeth Gordon.
He is survived by his wife Clarice Barrett Gordon; children Kent Gordon (wife Gabrielle), Dr. Kari Doucette (husband Thomas), Glen Gordon, Wayne Gordon (wife Renyun), and Maurine Stenwick (husband Scott); grandchildren Helen Colby (husband Andrew), Margaret Doucette, Nathan Doucette, Katherine Doucette, Seren Stenwick, Layla Stenwick, Kevin Gordon, and Hunter Gordon; great-grandchildren Alice Colby and Alfred Colby; sisters Lois Caswell and Gladys Bournique; brothers-in-law Kenneth Barrett and Timothy Barrett (wife Peggy); sister-in-law Laureen Burns (husband Robert); and many extended family members.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at Duvall Chapel of Newbury Court, 80 Deaconess Road, Acton, MA 01742, on September 11, 2025, at 2 p.m., with a reception to follow.
The family requests in lieu of flowers to consider donations to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres, 40 Rector St., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10006 or online, or to Lutheran World Relief, PO Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061 or online. Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Acton. To share a memory or to offer a condolence on George’s tribute page, visit www.DeeFuneralHome.com.
