From a very young age Gordon was an enterprising fellow. As a teenager he started his first auto-body repair shop in Salmon Beach. From there he established two more businesses, Gordie’s Auto Salvage and Gordie’s Auto Sales.

After making his larger-than-life presence known to Bathurst residents in his early years, Gordon moved with his family to Ormond Beach, Florida, over 40 years ago to continue to build his brand in construction contracting and, late, swimming poo

l construction. The pool business became his key success, having built over a thousand custom-designed swimming pools all over Florida and Georgia. A hands-on learner and quick study, Gordon was an accomplished electrician, carpenter, mechanic

, small aircraft pilot, ship captain, and hobby farmer, to name a few pursuits.

''The Captain'' became a popular fixture in the Daytona Beach area for his dominance in his pool-construction craft as well as his personality in the community. His legend culminated in his appearance in a recent episode on the popular TV show Am

erican Pickers, which features his quirky residence, a decommissioned military tugboat, and his faithful pet, a miniature horse named Alfie. During his illness Gordon spent a lot of time traveling around Florida with Alfie, entertaining crowds wh

erever they visited.