Dr. D.R Gordon Obituary (1947

Dr. Donald Ray "D.R." Gordon, 75, of Springfield, IL formerly of Clinton, IL, passed away 11:00 AM, Sunday, June 25, 2023 at HSHS St. John's Hospital, Springfield, IL. Services will be 10 AM, Thursday, June 29, 2023 at Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton, IL with Rev. Meredith Manning Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery, Clinton, IL. Visitation will be 5 - 7 PM, Wednesday, June 28, 2023 with Masonic Services at 5 PM at the funeral home. D.R. was born October 21, 1947 in Paris, IL the son of Dr. Wayne E. and Betty (Medsker) Gordon. He married Cathy Jill Silvers on June 14, 1969 in Clinton, IL. She survives. He is also survived by his two children, Jill Elizabeth Gordon of Springfield and Brad Clayton Gordon and his wife, Mary, of Peoria, and his granddaughter, Brooke Sue Gordon. He was preceded in death by his parents. D.R. attended Clinton Community High School and Eastern Illinois University. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago in 1971. He also received the President's Award at graduation. To this day he holds the highest GPA of any graduate at ICO. D.R. joined his father's optometry practice in 1971 after graduation. He was also employed as the Optometric Coordinator for the state of Illinois for twenty-five years. He has been the past-president of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, past-president of the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry, and past-chair of the Illinois Optometric Licensing and Disciplinary Board. He was honored to be the Illinois Optometrist of the Year in 1991 and the Alumnus of the Year at ICO in 1998. In 2019, the Illinois Optometric Association honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also an Eagle Scout, a longtime member of the Clinton Kiwanis club, and volunteered for the CHS football chain-gang for over twenty-five years. He was very proud to coach his son's baseball team throughout Brad's youth and served many years as president of Clinton Boys Khoury League. He was a member of the masonic Lodge DeWitt #84 and achieved the rank of 32nd degree. Memorials may be directed to Clinton Youth Baseball or the Vision of Hope at Illinois College of Optometry.