Gordon James Ferguson

Gordon J. Ferguson of St. Paul, Minnesota, passed away at the age of 67 on August 28 after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. Gordon had a strong will to live, and he beat the disease twice, but succumbed to an unexpected third round of the same cancer this summer, though he fought bravely against it until the end. He was born and raised in Massapequa, NY, growing up with a love of sports, both as a competitor and as a spectator. He played baseball and excelled in track at Massapequa High School, and was a die-hard fan of the New York Yankees for his entire life. Young Gordon, or "Buddy" as his family called him, loved baseball cards and board games, especially those that made you think and strategize. As kids, Gordon and his brother Dean would host marathon Monopoly games with their friends in the neighborhood that lasted for days. His all-time favorite game though was Strat-O-Matic baseball, which requires dedicated fans like Gordon to order the new major league player cards every year to compete with other players. He played that game religiously through the years, had the 2024 cards, and was surely looking forward to the new set next year. He loved that game! He also was an enthusiastic supporter of all Twin Cities sports teams (unless they were up against a New York team), and he loved discussing sports, and sports trivia, and watching sports, for hours on end with his brother Eric. He and Eric never missed an opportunity to go to a Twins game in person whenever possible, as they both loved the excitement of being there in the ballpark. Gordon was smart, funny and a very talented and dedicated writer, teacher, and poet. He graduated with master's degrees in English and History from the State University of New York in Oswego, and traveled with a college friend for a year to see the rest of the country after graduation. Gordon loved the west and Midwest. He lived for a year in Wyoming, and then Wisconsin before settling down in the Twin Cities, which he loved and thought of as "home". For many years he taught English in local charter schools and community colleges before switching gears and pursuing an encore career working as a Minneapolis community organizer and activist for Clean Water Minnesota and other organizations. He was passionate about human dignity, civil rights, and education. Gordon was always driven by a desire to make a difference in the world. He was determined to do so, and worked hard at making things better for everyone. Gordon loved books, especially volumes of poetry, and he loved music. He loved rock and roll (especially Bruce Springsteen), 1970's pop, and folk and Celtic music. For many years Gordon was a member of a folk group called Arise & Stagger, where he honed his skills as a surprisingly good singer and songwriter. They performed live in many venues across the Midwest, and had a strong following. The band recorded enough material for two albums, but alas were never able to get that elusive record deal. Gordon Ferguson was a good man with a great sense of humor, and he loved connecting with people. He loved a good conversation. His family and friends will most likely miss that the most. He was a good listener as well as an excellent debater, and lively conversations were his forte. He was always a loyal, generous and compassionate friend. He is survived by---and will be forever missed by---his two brothers, Dean and Eric, his sisters Teresa and Kelly, his brothers-in-law John and Tim, and his sister-in-law Hellen. Gordon was a man who loved this world, and all of the people in it, including his wonderful friends and family in the Twin Cities, his students and colleagues, and his multitude of extended family and lifelong friends back in New York.

Tributes

Gordon James Ferguson

May 8, 1957 - August 28, 2024

Tributes

Gordon James Ferguson

May 8, 1957 - August 28, 2024

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