Rita Simon Gordon

Mrs. Rita Simon Gordon, 91, of Frederick, died on Friday, April 10th, 2020, at Tranquility @ Fredericktowne. She was the wife of the late Frederick Mayor Paul Perry Gordon, who died December 5th, 2019. They were married on July 2, 1948 in College Park, Md.
Described by many as a “force of nature”, she was born February 1, 1929, in Frederick, she was the daughter of the late Jacob Nathan and Anna Stein Simon. Rita was a graduate of Frederick High School, Class of 1946; and the Frederick Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1949, as a Registered Nurse.
She was a life-long member of Beth Sholom Congregation, where she served as a board member and President from 1988-1990. She was also a member and Past President of Beth Sholom Sisterhood; and the Frederick Section, National Council of Jewish Women. She also served on the Board of The Jewish Museum of Maryland from 1998 until 2004.
Mrs. Gordon was a member of the Frederick County Board of Education for many years and served on the curriculum, personnel, audit and finance committees, enrollment and facilities committee as well as Chairman of the legislative committee. She served as Board of Education President from 1979-1980 and again, 1983-1984.
She was a member of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, where she served as president. She also served as Chairman of the Federal Relations Network for the Maryland delegation and as a member of the National committee for the Northeast Region for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education. She was appointed to the Maryland Values Education Commission and the Maryland Task Force on Education Funding. She also served on the Hood College Board of Associates for over 10 years and was Chairman of the Grants Committee.
Serving in the community, she was an American Red Cross Nurse from 1954-1990 and helped with the blood program and the Bloodmobile for over thirty years. She was a member and past president of the Nurses Alumnae Association of Frederick Memorial Hospital; Auxiliary of Frederick Memorial Hospital for many years and served on the ad-hoc committee for Frederick County Emergency Services Funding.
Mrs. Gordon served on the task force with Kitty Reed of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, and was instrumental in the creation of Leadership Frederick County.
She served as a Trustee for the Community Foundation of Frederick County, Inc., and as a member and advisor of the Frederick County 250th Anniversary Steering Committee.
She and her husband co-authored five books, two plays and numerous papers on Frederick County history, as they had researched Frederick County History and wrote several books on the local impact of the Civil War and The History of the Jews of Frederick, as well as a Textbook History of Frederick County as a supplemental Text for the School System. She is listed in Who’s Who of American Women and was presented the Woman of the Year Award as one of Frederick's outstanding women during International Year of the Woman in 1975. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were presented the 2016 National DAR -Daughters of the American Revolution Historic Preservation Award.
She is survived by her children Stuart Yael Gordon and wife, Deborah Photiadis, Buffalo, NY; Hugh Ellis Gordon and wife, Bonnie Bowen Gordon, of Ijamsville and Myla Gordon Roberson and husband, Keith L. Roberson, of Frederick; seven grandchildren, Tira Gordon Baror, Lindsey Gordon and husband, Heath Fisher, Rachel Gordon Schmidt and husband, John Schmidt, Justin David Gordon and wife Katie Gordon, Benjamin David Roberson, Joshua Nathan Roberson, Sydney Roberson and two great grandsons, Jacob Jonas Baror & Blake Eli Schmidt; a sister-in-law, Judy Simon, Hagerstown; niece, Barbara Gantz Morgan and husband, Harry. She is also fondly remembered by her adoptive daughter, Eleanor Krantz Strietman and her husband, Bob, of Centreville. She was preceded in death by her husband Paul, a granddaughter, Hannah Roberson and two brothers Alvin Simon and Leonard Simon, who died in the Influenza Epidemic of 1918.
Graveside funeral services will be in Garden of Solomon, Frederick. Due to corona virus restrictions, no Shiva is planned at this time.
Please omit flowers. Memorial donations may be made to the Paul P. & Rita S. Gordon Family Fund c/o The Community Foundation of Frederick County, Inc., 312 E Church St, Frederick, MD 21701, www.frederickcountygives.org/Gordon.
The Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, 106 East Church Street, Frederick, is in charge of arrangements and condolences may be shared at keeneybasford.com