IN MEMORY OF GORDON SHORT
March 14, 1919 - August 8, 2001


My father, Gordon Leo Short, seemed an ordinary man to anyone that happened to glance his way. But to those who knew him, they soon came to realize there was so much more to him than met the eye...






I only came to really understand that myself when the passage of time began to sink in for perspective. I always knew he told great bedtime stories (made up, off the cuff, by him), that I could count on him if he said he'd do something (like watch Popeye cartoons with me after he came home from work), or play 'Hawkeye and Chingascook' in the north woods with me, using his WWII rifle, that if I had a dream, he would be there to help bring it true (like when he used his spare time to help me put up fencing and build a stable for my horse, OR worked a second job to save money to help me go to college...)

What I came to realize later was WHO he was:

An intelligent man who never forgot a beloved teacher who once praised his abilities, which in turn enabled him to dream of becoming a dentist.

A sacrificial man forced to stop his education at 8th grade to help support his family, who despite those odds later bettered himself with trade school in order to make a life for his family.

A courageous man...scared, homesick, tired...who nonetheless endured those feelings to serve his country in World War II, dreaming he'd make it home again.

A curious man who continually read and asked questions about subjects ranging from politics to science to religion, his whole life long, who loved nothing better than to get into a lively discussion.

A gentle man with a ready smile and a natural ability to make people feel welcome, at ease...loved.

Here, on this page, I try to capture some of that with remembrances, tributes, photographs, etc. A pale representation of a humble, gentle man, who touched many...

...Tributes by Family and FriendsAnother Daughter Honors Her Father...

...Love of His Life

...Dad's War

...An Artist's Tribute to His Father