Gene Henderson Gordon

Denton – Gene Henderson Gordon passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

Gene was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He had a heart for helping others. He was an inventor and jack-of-all-trades and loved helping his children and grandchildren with household projects. In retirement Gene often drove a truck to pick up food in Fort Worth to restock Denton's Food Pantry. He was also a frequent volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. He helped build approximately 15 homes and he was the Lead Supervisor or Co-Lead on two builds.

Gene Gordon was born on April 13, 1929, in Anson, Texas to Horace Carlton Gordon and Ila Bess Hurst Gordon.  Horace was a Methodist minister in the Northwest Texas Conference and as was the custom in that day, he was transferred every few years to a new church. Gene was the youngest of six children and lived in many small towns in north Texas, eventually settling in Burleson, Texas, where he graduated high school. An aptitude test in high school suggested a career in photography. Gene learned his trade at two photography studios after high school and then in 1948 as a 19-year-old, he landed his first job as a photographer at the Fort Worth Press, a Scripps-Howard newspaper that was published from 1921 to 1975. Gene's photographic prowess grew and at age 23 he became the Chief Photographer at the Press. He literally rebuilt the photo lab in his spare time and invented darkroom accessories and camera lenses. It was not uncommon for Gene to win annual photography awards both locally and regionally.  His photos also appeared in Newsweek and Life magazines. Gene had a special talent for capturing the human element in each photo assignment.  As an example, Gene didn't just photograph a fire, he photographed the emotional or physical impact the fire had on people. Gene's photographs of President John F. Kennedy's trip to Fort Worth on the day of his assassination are iconic. He was also one of the only photographers at the subsequent burial of accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald in Rose Hill Cemetery in Fort Worth. Dallas' Six Floor Museum is now the owner of the Kennedy and Oswald photo negatives.

In 1975 the Press ceased publication and within days Gene was hired at the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He started at the bottom of a much larger cadre of photographers but after a year was named the Chief Photographer, a position he held for many years. Gene conceived the idea for a mobile photo lab that could be used when photographers were sent to cover out-of-town football games or were sent on remote assignments such as to the scene of a natural disaster in north Texas. He purchased a van and custom outfitted it with a darkroom and transmission facility. The lab helped compress the cycle time so photos could be taken, the film developed, and the image sent electronically to the Star Telegram to meet newspaper deadlines. Many photographers at the Star Telegram remember Gene as an impactful mentor in their formative years. When newspapers began transitioning to color photography and color advertisements, Gene was asked to take on a new role as a Quality Control Lead in the new Star Telegram Printing facility. His job was to incrementally update and improve the appearance of the newspaper. He researched alternative newsprint paper options and traveled to Europe to investigate improvements in color inks to produce the highest quality newspaper. After a long career at the Star Telegram, Gene retired in 1997.

Gene's vocation became his avocation in retirement. He loved traveling and thousands of photographs remain as a testament to his love of nature and history.

A private graveside service at the Burleson Memorial Cemetery will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, you are welcome to make a contribution to Habitat for Humanity of Denton, Texas, or to the charity of your choice.

Gene Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, and first wife, Marjorie Ann Sloan Gordon.

Survivors: Sybil, wife of 50 years and three children: Guy Sloan Gordon; Kimberly Sanders Mitchell (Bruce); Richard Bryan Sanders (Charlotte). Also surviving are grandchildren Will Gordon, Constance Gordon (Kyle), Tayler Mitchell Gumble (Monty), and Brendan Mitchell (Claire).