By JESSICA OTIS
Gordon, who would have begun his sophomore year at Iona College this fall, left behind family members and friends who helped fill St. Agnes Cathedral to capacity July 3 to say farewell.
It seemed that many were still in shock, their tears flowing days after they had heard the horrible news. But in his funeral homily, Monsignor Robert Brennan reminded mourners that although they were sharing sadness and grief, there was also hope. "We were not made to live for a few short years," Brennan said. "We were made to live forever and ever."
He described Gordon as a fun-loving, mischievous young man who brought joy and laughter to others. "He touched many lives," said Brennan, "and lived a good life.
"God blessed Patrick in his own life," Brennan added, "even though it was short."
"My brother Pat helped make me everything that I am today, from the type of music I like to the clothes I wear," said Gordon's younger brother Stephen. "He always helped me through problems he faced when he was my age, and he always put a smile on my face. He will be with me forever." Gordon's sister, Jackie, wrote a moving testimony to the big brother she adored, and it was distributed at the funeral.
Gordon's friend Ray McGrath commented on Patrick's relationship with his siblings, saying, "I don't think his brother and sisters realize how much he loved them." McGrath said that his own younger brother, Tommy, looked up to Gordon as if he were his second older brother.
Gordon was close to his parents as well, his friends said, having a bond with his mother and father that extended well beyond typical parent-child relationships. Friends told a story about how his mother found it impossible to have an argument with Patrick, because every time she would try to talk to him, he would make her laugh. He and his father shared a secret handshake every time Patrick left the house.
Gordon's death left everyone who knew him heartbroken and asking why, his friends said. As they gathered at McGraw Wolfman's house after Gordon's wake the night of July 2, they reminisced about his personality, his sense of humor and the memories they shared with him over the years. "He's our general," said Wolfman. "He left us with so many stories that they'll last us five lifetimes."
Doug Morgan commented that Gordon was "one of the first kids that I've ever met that I've understood." He was known for turning any negative situation into a positive one. Courtney Caulfield speculated on what Gordon might have been thinking as he watched over everyone in the days after his death. She said, "I'm sure he was, like, 'Stop whining and go have fun.'"
Gordon had an impact on just about everyone he met, his friends said. "Love him or not, you still had respect for him," said McGrath, adding that beyond the pain of his friend's death, it was the thought of his not being with them that was truly unbearable.
"No words are ever gonna be enough ... ever," said his friend Michael Dolan.
Comments about this story? RVCeditor@liherald.com, or call (516) 569-4000, ext 208.
