Allan Gordon:
CLASS OF 1967
Allderdice High SchoolClass of 1967
Pittsburgh, PA
Allan's Story
After H.S. graduation received a B.A. Economics/Political Science from Univ. of Pittsburgh. Then the Peace Corps in Guatemala from 1971-73. M.Ed Secondary Educational Administration from Lehigh Univ. in 1974. Married Lisa MacCormack from Washington, D.C. in 1974. Florida Dept. of Education, Program Designer 1974-77. Divorced from Lisa in 1978, no children!. Principal Leary School; Alexandria, VA 1977-82. 1980 Married Joann Simanski from Staten Island, NY. Moved to Pittsfield, MA in 1982. H.S. Principal until 1991. Took over the M.J. Gordon Co 1991. Have been running the company ever since.
Three children; Sarah Elizabeth (21), Junior at Bard College, wants to become a Clinical Psychologist. Benjamin Joseph (19) Sophomore at Rochester Institute of Technology, a born computer nerd. Rachael Rebeccah, (17) H.S. Senior. Wants to attend Hampshire College then Tufts Veterinary School; has wanted to become a Large Animal Vet since she was 8 years old. We live on a 108 acre farm in Peru, MA; just outside of Pittsfield. We have 140 animals, all pets, most rescued from various farms in the area; oxen, draft horses, sheep, rams, goats, pot-bellied pigs, chickens, roosters, ducks, turkey(s); dogs, cats, rabbits, pigeons & doves. Joann, Sarah, Ben, and especially Rachael are vegetarian; Rachael is vegan.
Joann and I have been married for 28 years. She paints, knits, sews, teaches part-time and is the glue that hold us all together. I do all of the carpentry on the farm, particularly in the new barn. I still play my 1971 Martin D-35 12 string acoustic nearly e...Expand for more
very day. Joann and I have been to the last two reunions, super! I have visited Fred Steinberg in Memphis each of he past two summers. We used to play a lot of guitar together during college. We picked back up. Jimmy Price stopped by the farm for a visit this past summer on his way to Maine to visit his old camp. I just bought a new Ford F-350 Pick-Up; I gave the 2003 Ford F-150 Pick-Up to Rachael. I have been of he local School Board for the past 4 years and it appears I will continue for another 4. I am also on the Peru Town Finance Committee. We live in the country, have great neighbors, and been blessed with three independent, bright, good-hearted children.
Having the farm for the past five years has made it difficult to get away for more than a day. But, prior, we took the children to Hong Kong, Thailand, Mainland China several times. We also would spend two weeks every summer camping on Cape Cod. Joann and I are planning a trip back to St. Maarten and St. Barths during the winter. Just the two of us. We will go when the kids are on college break. This will be a first since Sarah was born. The things I get excited about these days include the new pick-up, getting a new snow plow and in-bed sander for the truck to keep our 1,400 foot gravel driveway cleared and sanded during the winter, the new (used) York Rake for the John Deere 4300 tractor to keep the driveway and trails smooth, and having 3,000 bales of hay already in the hay loft for the coming winter. Well, that's pretty much it for now.
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