News

A REAL GEM OF A GUY

Yes, Jim Gordon is a gem in so many ways. He is a good neighbor who bakes cookies, a man who loves his family, and a good friend to many. The fact that he is also a jeweler makes the term seem appropriate, especially for the month of February. Jim had several other jobs earlier in his life; however, he now spends two to three days a week as a consultant and seller of jewelry, concentrating on diamonds. He and his partner’s “store” is not advertised but business thrives on word of mouth recommendations. 

James Aubrey Gordon is a native Memphian, born July 28, 1937. According to Jim, “We lived nearby and I was raised in the Union Avenue Baptist Church. I have one sister, four years older than I. We played outside with other neighborhood kids until we heard my father’s whistle. Then, we knew dinner was ready and it was time to come in for the night.” Jim’s father owned a jewelry store which influenced him in later life. 

When Jim was four years old, the family moved to the Springdale area of Memphis which remained as his family home until age twenty-five. He attended Springdale Elementary, Snowden Junior, and Central High School, graduating in 1955. As a youngster, Jim became involved with the Boy Scouts and developed an interest in hunting and fishing. When asked about dating, Jim says he really didn’t date much as he was very shy. However, he wanted to play softball on a championship team, so Jim became a member of Springdale Methodist Church which sponsored such a team. It was at that church that Jim met the “love of his life,” Marilyn Campbell. Jim was a senior in high school and Marilyn was only a freshman but he knew that she was The One. “I never dated anyone else after I met her,” says Jim. 

Following graduation from high school, Jim enrolled in Vanderbilt University. “It took me five and one-half years to get a degree in Economics as I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life at that time.” During two of the summers Jim was in college, he had some of the most exciting experiences of his life by becoming a Smokejumper for the US Forest Service. Based in Montana, after a thirty day orientation, Jim often parachuted from a plane with other Smokejumpers into a wilderness that had no access by any means other than by foot. After the fires were out, the Smokejumpers had to walk back. They carried with them a two day supply of rations and a sleeping bag for survival. With compasses and maps, the returning Smokejumpers could find their way to a highway where they would “thumb” their way back to base. “You had better return with your parachute!” exclaims Jim. The pay for this service was $3.50 per hour but they were paid for the walk back as well. “I made enough money to pay my tuition at Vanderbilt.”

Following graduation from Vanderbilt in 1961, Jim joined the Air Force Reserve and was activated in 1962 due to the Cuban Crisis. Fortunately, he was stationed at the Memphis Airport, assigned to Personnel Equipment. Jim had earlier asked Marilyn the “big question” and always the romantic, had placed her ring in a box of chocolates. She accepted and a wedding was planned for November. Although on active duty, Jim was granted a three day leave to get married. He and Marilyn would become parents to two “wonderful” daughters, Leigh and Nancy and now, four grandchildren have been added to the family.

Jim’s first job was with a finance company that repossessed cars. After five years, he left for a sales position with IBM, retiring after twenty-five years. In 1991, Jim was hired to be Operations Director for the FedEx-St. Jude Golf Tournament. The tournament had been moved to a new golf course and it was Jim’s job to get the course ready. It took five years to complete the task, and he retired in 2004. Following this, Jim began his jewelry business. 

Jim loved to travel but Marilyn did not like to fly. Because of their Scottish heritage, they did make a trip to England and Scotland. While there, they talked with many natives, including a Catholic priest. When the priest heard that Marilyn was a Campbell, he exclaimed, “Faith and Begorrah, your families have been fighting for over 100 years!” Marilyn had graduated from Memphis State University with a degree in Education and a Masters in Library Science, becoming Librarian for Vollentine, then, St. Mary’s Episcopal School. The Gordons eventually placed their church membership with Christ United Methodist Church. Sadly, Marilyn succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in 2012. “We had fifty wonderful years together,” says Jim. He had provided care of her for most of the last five years of her life. 

After Marilyn’s death, Jim lived alone for seven years before moving to Kirby Pines in 2019. “I finally realized that fellowship is important. I investigated all options and chose Kirby Pines because of Lifecare and the beautiful campus. Golf is my passion and I play twice a week, weather permitting. Now, I have sharpened my billiard skills by playing with four ‘pool sharks’ here at Kirby. This activity makes for great discussions and gamesmanship,” says Jim. Don’t you wonder what those discussions are about?

Wrtten by Joan Dodson, Resident, Kirby Pines

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

The Christmases Jane Smith Hodge experienced as a child will most likely seem familiar to many. Jane was born in Munford, Tennessee, a small rural community, in 1939. Her father was a farmer; her mother, a stay-at-home mom. Mid-way her second grade, Jane’s family moved to Charleston, Mississippi where her father again farmed until he found employment as a machinist in a local factory. Jane was the oldest of four other girls in the family; two brothers serving as “bookends”. With so many children, Christmas was always a great occasion. This is how Jane describes her early Christmases: 

“We did not grow up with the elaborate Christmases that children have today and with six kids in the family, we ‘made do’ with what we had. Like in the story books, we went to the woods and cut down a tree that would fit on a table. Then, we would string popcorn and holly berries to decorate the tree. The star on top of the tree was made by Mother and covered in foil. Then, we covered the tree with icicles we purchased. While we were gone to find the tree, Mother stayed home to help Santa with the gifts. These were placed under the tree after we decorated it to wait until Christmas morning. If we were lucky and it snowed near Christmas, Mother always made ‘snow ice cream’ in a huge dishpan. Those memories are the favorites of my childhood.” 

The family remained in Charleston and thrived there. Jane says, “It was a wonderful place to raise a family, with good schools, churches and plenty to do.” The only “bad” thing Jane remembers happening was the time her brother accidentally chopped off the end of her finger while she was helping him at the “choppin” block. They had no car but a neighbor transported her to the doctor and the finger was successfully reattached. While in high school, Jane was on the basketball team which won the Delta Valley Championship. She also received awards including “Class Favorite”. 

Following graduation from high school in 1957, Jane worked a year to save money for college. She then enrolled in a one year secretarial course at Northwest Junior College. Because no jobs were available in Charleston, Jane moved to Memphis. She briefly worked for the American Red Cross but was soon employed by Bridgestone/Firestone. 

Shortly after coming to Memphis, Jane was introduced to Lee Hodge by a friend. They fell in love and were married in 1961. Lee was a brick mason and designed a beautiful herringbone pattern for the fireplace in one of their homes. She and Lee became the parents of three daughters and today there are nine grandchildren and eleven greats! Sadly, Lee passed away with dementia in 1998. 

While the children were small, Jane was a stay-at-home mom and served as PTA President of their school. Even so, Jane had twenty five years with Firestone, ten in Memphis and fifteen in a Chicago suburb. While there, she became Transportation Manager for a ten state area. 

In 2003, following her retirement, Jane moved back to Collierville to be close to her family. She became a member of a grief group sponsored by First Evangelical Church which is also involved with the Orange Mound District Youth Foundation. She remains an active member of Ridgeway Baptist Church and their Golden Agers Group. 

Jane says she “fell in love” with Kirby Pines after attending one of the Marketing luncheons. The continual care concept as well as the promise to take care of her in the event of financial problems, sold her. She moved to Kirby Pines in 2020. Jane says this about Kirby Pines: “I love it here. The grounds’ staff keep everything looking lovely. Plus, I feel very safe here and I especially enjoy my balcony. I never have to worry about cooking dinner or fixing anything in my apartment. The thing that I enjoy most is playing games with my friends.” 

Although she has had a busy life, Jane has managed to travel extensively, visiting all seven continents and forty-seven countries, some twice. Several of these trips have been made since moving to Kirby Pines. 

According to Jane, “Christmases now are a contrast to the ones of my earlier life. Actually, I have three Christmases. The first is my immediate family celebration on the night of December 23rd. We have dinner and open gifts. With three daughters, and their families, we have a large group, although not everyone is able to come every year because we are so scattered. The second Christmas is called ‘The Sisters’ Christmas Birthday’. With five sisters, we celebrate our birthdays in this manner: we go out to dinner, return and open gifts to each other. The third and final Christmas celebration is when the entire clan comes together on Christmas Day for a ‘pot-luck’ dinner. There are usually more desserts than regular food, but we always have the traditional turkey and ham. After the delicious meal, we play a game called ‘Dirty Santa’. Everyone brings a gift worth $20. The gift you pick may be taken away from you by someone else. All in good fun!” 

Jane wishes to thank all the people at Kirby Pines who have made her feel welcomed. She along with this writer wishes you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Wrtten by Joan Dodson, Resident, Kirby Pines