Gordon Robert Blake, 72, of Buda, Texas, died February 17, 2022, surrounded by his devoted wife of 43 years, Candace, and their children.
Gordon, son of Zada Metzler Blake and Gordon John Blake, and proud big brother of Tara, Scott and Dan, was born in Batavia, NY, and raised in nearby Wyoming. He attended Wyoming Central School, where he was elected 1968 senior class president, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, and loved playing soccer and basketball. Attending basketball games with his father in Boston and New York sparked a lifelong love of the sport, which he played, refereed, coached and watched over the years.
Gordon attended Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, for one year before enlisting in the Army. During a brief posting in Washington, D.C., he studied at the State Department for a position as an Interpreter and Interrogator. He was a student of Cambodian by day and jazz clubs by night.
Upon transferring to Fort Hood, TX, he quickly fell in love with first Austin and then Candace, whom he met at a mutual friend’s party. They were virtually inseparable since that first date at Denny’s. They married on April 29, 1978, and enjoyed an idyllic 1970s Austin life while he completed his degree at The University of Texas at Austin while bartending at the original Matt’s El Rancho.
For a time he and Candace also lived in New Mexico, where he loved hiking and watching the lightning over the Sandia Mountains during a summer rainstorm. They moved from Austin to Buda in 1985. He worked at Motorola in a variety of positions over 38 years before retiring in 2016.
As a steadfast husband, he had a calming presence, was fun to be around and could keep up his end of any conversation. He welcomed each of his three children—Will, Ryan and Molly— into the world by Candace’s side and tirelessly loved, supported and encouraged them. His children were his proudest achievement, and he loved Molly’s partner, Dustin Seymour, and Ryan’s wife, Suzanne Krause, as though they were his own. Later, he could not have been happier than to see them out adventuring the way he once had, and joined them on many memorable trips where he always had a long list of cool dive bars, local restaurants and historical sites to explore together. Having nurtured a love of cigars and Scotch, he leaves them all with a good story about too much milk punch at the Christmas parties.
Gordon set an example in being authentic to himself and kind to others. He loved to make connections through books, music and basketball. For his tireless efforts, the San Antonio Spurs can thank Gordon for enlisting the fandom of his children and all their friends. A voracious reader of every subject, Gordon could spend hours at any bookstore and was devoted to haunts in his favorite cities of Austin, Chicago, San Francisco, New York and New Orleans. His longtime friend Bill still isn’t sure if he should apologize to Candace for telling Gordon about the opening of Austin’s first Half Price Books. Despite gifting a thoughtful selection to just about anyone he liked, his legacy includes more than 13 bookcases of his beloved collection.
Gordon also loved a good deal: a perfect day meant hunting for a great signed, second-hand hardback, scoring a natty blazer at a thrift store (he had a flair for vintage), and being out on the town during happy hour to hear a favorite Texas musician like Joe Ely or Terry Allen. He loved the Austin music scene and frequented Armadillo World Headquarters, Soap Creek Saloon, the One Knite and many other venues over 40 years.
Gordon is survived by his wife Candace, his sons Will and Ryan, daughter Molly, sister Tara and brother-in-law Richard Longhini of Silver Springs, NY, and brothers Scott Blake of Wyoming County, NY, Dan and Marsha Blake of Glenwood Springs, CO, and brother-in-law Michael Carothers of Tallahassee, FL. The family is grateful for the efforts and care of Buda EMTs and Fire Department, as well as various doctors in Austin, for granting us more time and memories with him.
Gordon would like those wishing to honor his memory to go out and hear live music, and generously tip the musicians and bartenders. The family will host a celebration of his life well-lived the afternoon of March 26, 2022. For more information about attending or to share a memory, please contact GRBMemorial@gmail.com.
