by Daniel Gordon Obituary, Death – Daniel Gordon, 68, of Rock Island, Illinois, passed away on Sunday, October 30, 2022, while surrounded by his family at home. He had been ill for some time. Rituals of cremation shall be carried out as he had requested them to be done. Visitation will be held from three in the afternoon until five in the evening on the day of the funeral, which is Monday, November 28, 2022. On April 25, 1954, Daniel J. Gordon Sr. joined his parents, Allen and Isabelle (Smarr) Gordon, in the world in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In 1975, he had his first encounter with the woman who would become the love of his life, Joanne Hess.
They wed on August 7, 1976. Dan spent his childhood in Moline. After completing his education at Moline Senior High School, he went on to have a long and successful career in music, which began with him playing the taps while he was in the Eighty-Second band. This career took him all over the world. He was stationed in Germany while serving in the United States Army. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Music and finally became a music teacher, passing on his enthusiasm for the subject to his many pupils. He spent the summer scouring thrift stores for used instruments and repairing them so that students might use them.
It was never about anything other than the passion for music. He had a career in education but had to give it up in 1999 because of an ongoing condition that made it difficult for him to work. Dan was a parent to six children and assisted in the upbringing of thirty grandkids. He lived in North Carolina, Illinois, and Wurzburg, Germany, among other places, and enjoyed reading historical and fantasy literature, playing old war games, going hiking and camping, preparing meals, and taking breaks to think about life.
He traveled the world. In addition, singing, playing music, playing games, and joking around with his kids were some of Dan’s favorite things to do. The more time one spent with him, the more generous and joyful he became. There was no cap on either quality.
