A Life Well Lived
November 2, 2022
by Monica Kitts
Gordon Chin, age 82, born in 1940 in Seattle, Washington, passed away in his Virginia home after a courageous battle with cancer. Gordon grew up in Chinatown in Seattle, Washington and graduated from Garfield High School and the University of Washington. Gordon was commissioned in August 1963 as a distinguished military graduate assigned to Frankfurt Arsenal in New Jersey. Gordon and his wife Mabel travelled east with the Army and built a life in the Washington D.C. area. He made 2 trips to Vietnam during the war, with the 9th Infantry and the 25th Infantry Divisions.
A loving husband and father, after leaving the military, instead of returning to Seattle, he had a long work career as a consultant with various companies, including starting his own company, ZYZYX, before retiring at 65.Since retirement, he has volunteered in various organizations including: Loudoun County Symphony as Orchestra Stage manager, Medicare counselor for 12 years, AARP Taxes counselor for Seniors, AARP CarFit Safe Driver program instructor, Senior Center ESL teacher, and at Loudoun County High Schools as a Reality Store Instructor teaching students life skills.
He loved a cold beer, a nice scotch, trying exotic foods, eclectic assortments of reading materials, playing Sudoku, and was a 50+ years fan of the Washington Redskins football team. A music aficionado, Gordon enjoyed everything from Opera to Symphony, 50s Rock, Johnny Cash, ABBA (Momma Mia!) and most recently, Dana Winner singing “One Moment in Time”. His favorite times were when his children and grandchildren got together for a special occasion or travelled together for vacation.
A well-versed traveler, in his retirement years, he traveled with family to Alaska to see glaciers, Puerto Rico to kayak in a bioluminescent bay, Norway to see the northern lights, rode the Tokyo subway and ate sushi in Japan, ate crepes in Paris, ate paella and tapas in Spain, ate beignets at Café du Monde in New Orleans, went to Italy to see the Sistine Chapel, got food poisoning in Mexico, drank Guinness beer in Ireland, walked with a tiger in Thailand, got banned from Singapore, went snorkeling in Aruba, looked for shells in OBX, went white water rafting in Colorado, and made one last trip back to China to visit the Chin family village. For his 80th birthday, celebrated in 2021 due to the pandemic, his wife and daughters accompanied him on a Danube River Cruise where he ate gingerbread in Germany, visited a saffron farm in Austria, drank Palinka and Unicum at a ruin bar in Hungary, and walked the streets of Prague. It was the only cruise that Avalon Waterways held that year, and it was a wonderful experience. Most recently, he celebrated a 60th Wedding Anniversary with his wife and family in Lancaster, PA where he listened to wolves howling at a wolf sanctuary and ate Amish food. Gordon lived life to the fullest and was always ready for a new adventure.
He is survived by his wife Mabel, his children, Deby (D.H.), Monica (Kevin) and Bryan (Marianne).He has 6 grandchildren, Michelle (Gillian), Adam, Brianna, Tyler, Connor and Christopher. He is preceded in death by his grandson Ryan. He is also survived by 4 brothers, Bill (Mamie), Stephen (Janet), Kenneth (Janet) and Phil (B.J.) along with 2 brothers-in-law, Henry and Harry (Susan) and numerous nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and grand nephews. He is preceded in death by his youngest brother Lester. Family was his pride and joy and extended family made everything worthwhile.
Reflecting upon a lyric from his favorite song, “I want one moment in time, When I'm more than I thought I could be…”.Looking back, Gordon more than achieved that moment. His final request is that his friends and loved ones raise a glass to celebrate a life well spent.
To a wonderful Husband, Father, Father-in-law, Grandfather, Brother, Brother-in-law, Uncle, Great Uncle …. Gordon …. you seized every moment, you’re a winner for a lifetime and you will be missed.
A loving husband and father, after leaving the military, instead of returning to Seattle, he had a long work career as a consultant with various companies, including starting his own company, ZYZYX, before retiring at 65.Since retirement, he has volunteered in various organizations including: Loudoun County Symphony as Orchestra Stage manager, Medicare counselor for 12 years, AARP Taxes counselor for Seniors, AARP CarFit Safe Driver program instructor, Senior Center ESL teacher, and at Loudoun County High Schools as a Reality Store Instructor teaching students life skills.
He loved a cold beer, a nice scotch, trying exotic foods, eclectic assortments of reading materials, playing Sudoku, and was a 50+ years fan of the Washington Redskins football team. A music aficionado, Gordon enjoyed everything from Opera to Symphony, 50s Rock, Johnny Cash, ABBA (Momma Mia!) and most recently, Dana Winner singing “One Moment in Time”. His favorite times were when his children and grandchildren got together for a special occasion or travelled together for vacation.
A well-versed traveler, in his retirement years, he traveled with family to Alaska to see glaciers, Puerto Rico to kayak in a bioluminescent bay, Norway to see the northern lights, rode the Tokyo subway and ate sushi in Japan, ate crepes in Paris, ate paella and tapas in Spain, ate beignets at Café du Monde in New Orleans, went to Italy to see the Sistine Chapel, got food poisoning in Mexico, drank Guinness beer in Ireland, walked with a tiger in Thailand, got banned from Singapore, went snorkeling in Aruba, looked for shells in OBX, went white water rafting in Colorado, and made one last trip back to China to visit the Chin family village. For his 80th birthday, celebrated in 2021 due to the pandemic, his wife and daughters accompanied him on a Danube River Cruise where he ate gingerbread in Germany, visited a saffron farm in Austria, drank Palinka and Unicum at a ruin bar in Hungary, and walked the streets of Prague. It was the only cruise that Avalon Waterways held that year, and it was a wonderful experience. Most recently, he celebrated a 60th Wedding Anniversary with his wife and family in Lancaster, PA where he listened to wolves howling at a wolf sanctuary and ate Amish food. Gordon lived life to the fullest and was always ready for a new adventure.
He is survived by his wife Mabel, his children, Deby (D.H.), Monica (Kevin) and Bryan (Marianne).He has 6 grandchildren, Michelle (Gillian), Adam, Brianna, Tyler, Connor and Christopher. He is preceded in death by his grandson Ryan. He is also survived by 4 brothers, Bill (Mamie), Stephen (Janet), Kenneth (Janet) and Phil (B.J.) along with 2 brothers-in-law, Henry and Harry (Susan) and numerous nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and grand nephews. He is preceded in death by his youngest brother Lester. Family was his pride and joy and extended family made everything worthwhile.
Reflecting upon a lyric from his favorite song, “I want one moment in time, When I'm more than I thought I could be…”.Looking back, Gordon more than achieved that moment. His final request is that his friends and loved ones raise a glass to celebrate a life well spent.
To a wonderful Husband, Father, Father-in-law, Grandfather, Brother, Brother-in-law, Uncle, Great Uncle …. Gordon …. you seized every moment, you’re a winner for a lifetime and you will be missed.
