Gordon and Roxana Harper
Obituary
Gordon Lloyd Harper was born in Neenah, Wisconsin to parents J. Lloyd and Beth Harper. He was an activist for justice at a very early age. In high school he petitioned his neighbors on Woodenshoe Road to recall Senatove Joseph McCarthy. A 1954 graduate of Neenah High School, Gordon was offered a full scholarship to Yale, which he turned down in favor of Denison University in Ohio. He graduate in 1958 with a BA in English and went on to receive an MA in Religion and Art from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1959 and an MA in English from the University of Chicago in 1960. He accepted a position as Assistant Professor of English at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo from 1966-1971. In 19971 the family moved to Chicago to join the staff of the Institute of Cultural of Affairs full-time and, as we wrote, “to leave the academic world and change the world.”
Over the next quarter century Gordon combined his passions for teaching facilitating, and making a positive gloaal change to go on assignments to assist local communities to develop their own plans for the future. Gordon and his family lived all of the Asian world – India, Singapore, Laaysia, and Taiwan. He described his time in India as “the most profoundly demanding, spiritually empowering, time in my life.”
From 1994 to last week, Gordon lived and worked with the ICA/ToP as a trainer of trainers in facilitation skills and strategic planning methods. As a member of Seattle First Baptist Church, he was very active in the Adult Education and Stewardship Commissions and helped found the Partners in Peacemaking component of Social Justice Ministries. He also worked closely with the Occupy Seattle movement and the Church Council of Greater Seattle. Gordon thoroughly enjoyed exercising with the Group Health Cooperative Enhance Fitness Class and working with the GRC Senior Caucus group. He and Roxana eagerly looked forward to their annual pilgrimage to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival I Ashland and volunteer ushering at Initiman, SeattleShakespeare Company and the REP.
In addition to his younger siblings, Carol, Doug and Jim, Gordon is survived by his wife,Roxana, and exceptional children Geoffrey (Kayla), Stuart (Cris) and Elena as well as his eight fantastic grandchildren Brittany, Reuben, Tania, Ben, Gabriel, Alex, Lily and Simon.
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A Very Brief Collegium
September 3, 2015
Beloved Colleagues —
Few of us, as the end of life approaches, get the chance to speak directly to anything like our whole community. It appears that I have that opportunity, and I’m taking advantage of it.
Last week, after two months of medical testing to find out what had suddenly landed on me and drained me of my strength and usual energy, Roxana and I got the diagnosis. It’s a rare form of fairly fast moving (typically two months to two years) leukemia, called CMML. There’s little to be done to treat it, especially in someone my age (about to be 79). I’m getting good medical care and have a fine local support community here in Seattle.
First of all, I want you all to know that I am at peace with this, as is Roxana. My life–in good part because of you–has been rich, crazy, wonder-filled and a unique and unrepeatable journey with the Mystery. And no one knows better than you and I how to celebrate both our being here and the completion of our journeys.
I am taking this rare chance to express to all of you how much you’ve meant to me over the years–as the amazing collection of individual nobodies we are that rode out like the Man of La Mancha to throw our beings into the challenge of bending history. More than that, you all contributed your own weird and special gifts, neuroses and idiosyncrasies to the makeup of our corporate life and community, all over the world. Without you, there’d never have been such a community; so thank you, thank you, thank you.
I hope to be able to chat with at least some of you individually or collectively over the time remaining to me, through one of the dizzying array of communication tools at hand today, and give you a little abuse. (What else would you expect from me? And please–do return the favor.) We’ll see how things work out. In the meantime, this note will have to stand for my salute to all of you, my heartfelt gratitude for your having been and continuing to be who you are and for that remarkable webbing and mission that connects us.
The peace of God is yours this day —
Gordon
Thank you for your thoughtful witness about your health and end of life journey. At this age many of us are aware of the “end of life” station approaching. Perhaps you are more fortunate than some of us in having an idea of what path you are on. But your witness of the love, wisdom and strength of the community we have been privileged to know and love is the gift many of us experience.
I read Richard Rohr’s columns each morning…this Franciscan priest has been helpful on my journey. I thought of you, Gordon as I read his column this morning. He was quoting James Finley’s description of Buddha’s Eightfold Path—
“The first two steps of the Eightfold Path are Right Vision and Right Thinking (“right” meaning effective in evoking happiness and inner peace). These two are associated with the notion of wisdom. They help us ground ourselves in this wisdom of the Eightfold Path.
The next four of the eight steps are the paths of the moral precepts. Do not confuse this with being “moralistic.” The intuition of the Buddha is that one will not come to this inner peace unless one grounds one’s life in an inflowing and outflowing love. This is the core of what it means to be moral. Love is the outflowing way that we must relate to everything [read “God”] and the outflowing way we must relate to each individual person. [“On these two commandments hang the entire Law and the Prophets as well,” says Jesus (Matthew 22:40).]”
Thank you for all we have learned and enjoyed in knowing you and Roxana through so many years. I send peace, love and courage your way…may this journey be a deepening of your care.
~~ Priscilla Wilson
Gordon left his fingerprints in Sudtonggan, Mactan, at the HDTS. That, and mostly in my mind. I used to tell time late afternoon at the training school when he poured his gin-tonic and started a genial conversation. I do not remember if we had one or two schools together but he helped launch Mactan 24. But it was mostly Gordon whose demeanor would never be fazed, whatever fire was raging next door.Roxanna played the faithful Dulcinea when I saw them back at Centrum.
We said “goodbye” long time ago, but for the Internet, we would not even be footnotes in an autobiography were we ever inclined to write one. I am a Merlot guy when I get close to a bottle, but I shall go down the store (we just got our power today after five weeks) for gin-tonic that will last me a couple of years, mas o menus. Cheers, Gordon!
~~ Jaime Vergara
After witnessing the recent passage of my mom through the door that opens to receive one in the final arc of the circle on the journey of a completed life; we give thanks to our Creator for giving us the means to admit “the three strange angels”at that door. I did not know you well, Gordon but you left a lasting impression on me of a temperate spirit and compassionate soul which was manifest in your calm demeanor even unto deep intentionality for the overarching mission down to the mundane details that signified a good deed done. I find it a little unexpected that you are giving comfort and solace to your colleagues as you share your reflections at this juncture in your journey. May we all anticipate the celebration of transition with reverence, awe and joy.
“And so I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 1:6)
And I lift up this verse from “A Charge to Keep I Have”.
“To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will”.
And again, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure”. (Philippians 2:13)
Thank you, Gordon for allowing us to accompany you on your journey while we respond to the Call of the Mystery creating History while abiding with us.
~~ Dawn Collins
Obituary
Roxana Markham Harper peacefully complied her life with her three children present with her at home. She was born to Wilbur and Corinne (Milne) Markham in Connecticut and was a graduate of Syracuse University. She was happily married to Gordon, her husband of 56 years. Roxana and Gordon were members of the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) for over 40years, working with a grassroots approach to empower communities to achieve their goals. They lived in multiple in the United States, as well as in villages and cities in India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan. After she and Gordon moved to Seattle in 1996, Roxana worked for Plymouth Congregational Church for several years.
Roxana loved to attend the theater, read a good mystery novel, and travel to new places. She greatly enjoyed the camaraderie of the Group Health Cooperative Enhance Fitness Class, OWLS, and the ICA “Lunch Bunch.” As a longtime member of Seattle First Baptist Church Roxana loved the fellowship and community in worship. Both she and Gordon were stanch civil rights supporters who acted on their beliefs that with love and understanding the world can be a better place.
Roxana is preced in death by her parents and husband. She is survived by her brother: William Markham (Lincoln, NB), nephew David (Gilbert, AZ), neice Sara FRiest (Jacob, Lincoln,NB), four grandnephews and nieces: Ethan, Oliver, Lyla, August; her three Childe: Geoffrey (Kayla – Rogers, MN), Stuart (Christine – Danville, KY) and Elena (Seattle, WA) as wee as eight grandchildren: Brittany, Reuben,Benjamin, Tania, Gabriel, Alexander, Lily and Simon. We are humbled by your prayers and expressions of sympathy and thank you for your many years of friendship. Roxana cherished each and every one of you. We hope your memories of her will inspire you to act with courage, generosity, and love.
*****