“I know the author of tomorrow has ordered my steps.”
“What does it take to fall in love with being alive?
Being willing to see the end of what you love.”
~Jenkinson, Griefwalker
On Sunday, July 13, 2025, Gordon released his spirit at the Happy Hunting Grounds on Porphyry Island, aboard his precious “ship” Fair Havens, beside his beloved wife, Karin.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario April 2, 1954, to Alistair and Helen (nee Hurst) Mackenzie, Gordon grew up with his three adored sisters, Lynda, Bonnie and Barbara. He married “the girl he’d been waiting for”, Karin (nee Hotvedt), in 1981, and together they started a family in Manitouwadge, ON, later relocating to his much-loved Nipigon.
After graduating with his Forest Technician diploma from Lakehead University, Gordon did a two-year stint with CUSO in Malaysia (Apa khabar, Tom!) then returned to Thunder Bay to obtain his Bachelor of Science in Forestry. Throughout his employment years, Gordon worked extensively in the forest industry with American Can of Canada Ltd., Buchanan Forest Products, Domtar Woodlands, Norampac, Wajax, Sturgeon Timber, and Pic-Heron Development Corporation, but finally settled into his dream job as a data analyst for Brass Bell Family Resource Centre. Driven by a strong work ethic he simultaneously volunteered in many organizations including The Boy Scouts of Canada (14 years as Akela), The Township of Nipigon, spending 8 years as a Councillor, where he sat on several committees including Recreation, Library, Cemetery, and the Local Citizen’s Committee, and, The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 32. He sat on several Boards including The Nipigon District Memorial Hospital, Connection Community Church, and The Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior (CLLS). Gordon delivered the Chronicle Journal for over 17 years, assisting Karin in the routes she continues to maintain since 1990.
Music permeated Gordon’s life. His mother, Helen, purchased a piano for the family and he and his siblings took lessons. Later, in High School, he learned the trombone and played with the Hamilton Mohawk Swingphonic Band. While in university, he played five seasons with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. In Manitouwadge, he founded The Manitouwadge Jazz Ensemble. The Royal Canadian Legion and the Red Rock Indian Band relied on Gordon to play Taps and Reveille annually at the Remembrance Day and Aboriginal Day Ceremonies respectively. He treasured his duets with himself on trombone and Lenora Rowsell on the accordion; neither of them could stump the other with a gospel tune they didn’t know! Gordon’s ultimate joy came when he recently renewed his faith and his skills at the keyboard and played with Triple C Revival (TCR) with musicians Rod, Brian, Dee and often, his grandson, A.J., at Connection Community Church. He managed the musical group The Beatitudes, who practice and perform with TCR. Gordon and Karin provided musical entertainment monthly for Long-Term Care (LTC) Residents at the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital and supported Grace United Church representative, Janet Watson, with monthly church services at LTC.
An avid outdoorsman, Gordon loved hiking, cross-country skiing, swimming lengths religiously at the Nipigon pool and canoeing. In 1990, Gordon purchased a Coachman trailer and then began two decades of family camping at Jessie Lake, Lake Nipigon and Jack Pine with our dear friends, The Hardys (together we became the “McHardys”), The Mahoneys and The Vihtelics. While camping Gordon developed his famous “Mackenzie” French toast aka “Pappa’s” French toast; he served his creation far and wide to family and friends. In 2015, Gordon replaced the camper with a 1947 Steelcraft boat. In 2020, after 6 years of restorative work, Gordon launched his pride and joy, Fair Havens, with the help of his boating buddies Gary, Karlo, and Lorne, who continued to support him by troubleshooting problems and getting the boat in and out of the water; every fall they gathered to moose hunt on Bowman Island. Nothing gave him more pleasure than to take family and friends out in the Nipigon River and Nipigon Bay, while Karin pointed out features like the crossing of the 49th parallel, the pictographs and the twin “Eiffel” towers. The 10-hour voyage to Porphyry Island for 4 years as host keepers pinnacled each season.
Gordon borrowed books consistently from the Nipigon Public Library and his passion for reading, life and community manifested into his weekly “Melville’s Musings” published in the local Nipigon-Red Rock Gazette. Through his writing he made personal connections with those beyond his circle and documented a legacy of love, devotion, and profound community ties.
Gordon found his greatest blessings in his four children and his grandchildren who fondly called him Pappa: Rory (Christine) and Westley; Laura, Angelina, Justice, A.J., Esmé, Anika, Elias, Theo and Caine; Nelson (Sarah) and Braelyn; Calvin (Joanna), Karsten and Baby-on-the-way.
Gordon is reunited with his parents, Alistair and Helen (Yes!) Mackenzie, Karin’s parents, Jon and Jeannette (nee DuFour) Hotvedt, brother-in-law, Kevin Hotvedt and sister-in-law, Claire (nee Brunner) Hotvedt. Others left to share his memory with his wife, children, and grandchildren are sisters Lynda (David) Wainscott, Bonnie (Wayne) Zimmerman and Barb (Brian) Walker, brothers-in law Jim (Tarri) and Eric Hotvedt, sister-in-law, Maryann (nee Alworth) Hotvedt, and numerous cherished nieces, nephews, cousins, special friends Alan (Audrey) Whittle and Jimmy Vihtelic, and others who are too abundant to name. He rarely missed sending birthday greetings to everyone and printed the envelopes for the annual Christmas card to family and lifelong friends.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to Andrew Ehn and Paul Moralee of CLLS, the stellar Captain, First Officer, and Critical Care Paramedics of Ornge and Dane of the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital for their compassionate care bringing Gordon home; to Tom Hudson (youtube.whatintheworld), “Big Brother” Gary Lange, Karlo Kaustinen, Lorne Hemphill, Nathan Monk and Dean Renaud, for bringing Fair Havens safely back to port. Blessings to you, friends and neighbours, for the generous deliveries of cards, flowers, food, messages and personal visits to our home to offer your condolences.
Celebrations for Gordon’s life will happen during the summer of 2026.
Donations to the CLLS (clls.ca/about/) would be meaningful and greatly appreciated.
“I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says. ‘There she goes!’
Gone where? Gone from my sight…that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, ‘There she goes!’ there are others eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout,
‘Here she comes!’”
“So when it feels like all of this pain is never gonna end
Brought to my knees by all of these things I don't understand
I will let the weight of my fear fall like sand
Out of my hands and into Yours…”
~Jeremy Camp
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Condolences may be made through www.nwfainc.com
