See a photo showcase of Sally Gordon here.
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LINCOLN — Sally Gordon, often called the matriarch of the State Capitol, died early Tuesday in Lincoln.
Her 103rd birthday would have been March 26.
Gordon retired last year as a sergeant-at-arms for the Nebraska Legislature, where she was much celebrated for her positive personality and her graceful longevity.
“She had to be one of the nicest people ever placed on this Earth,” said Larry Dix, one of the regular lobbyists at the Legislature. “It was always so great to see Sally's smile.”
Gov. Dave Heineman marked her death, saying, “Sally was a great Nebraskan, and we will miss her.”
Gordon was an icon around the Capitol, said State Sen. Bill Avery of Lincoln, who knew her long before being elected.
“She was a wonderful person,” he said. “Always graceful, always friendly, immaculately dressed.”
Gordon spent much of her working life at the Capitol. She worked for three governors, then became the first female sergeant-at-arms at age 75.
When she was 101, she was honored as America's Outstanding Oldest Worker by Experience Works, a nonprofit group that helps mature workers find jobs and new careers.
Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood of Norfolk called Gordon a “great example of a well-lived life.”
“She served as a model for folks working well past retirement age and serving with distinction,” he said.
Gordon was assistant to the dean of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Centennial College. Don Wesely was a student when he first met her.
Years later, she still remembered that meeting, said Wesely, a state senator-turned-lobbyist.
“She just connected with people,” he said, “and she remembered them, and she just made you feel special.”
Among the highlights of her life were meeting President Lyndon B. Johnson, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and actors Charlton Heston and Shirley MacLaine, along with appearing in People magazine herself.
Her son, Jim Gordon, said she remembered seeing the statue of the Sower being lifted onto the top of the Nebraska Capitol dome in 1930.
She also remembered watching the Capitol being built.
A former model, Gordon was known for her elegant hats and stylish dress and for walking everywhere she wanted to go. Although she had slowed down in her last couple of years, she still walked to the store and downtown, her son said.
After her husband, Merle, died, she lived on her own in the shadow of the Capitol.
Jim Gordon said his mother was hospitalized Jan. 13 after a fall at her home.
It seemed somehow appropriate that she died on Valentine's Day, he said.
“She loved everybody, and everybody loved her.”
Along with her son, survivors include daughters Janet Rudolph and Sandra Shapo, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband and a daughter, Connie Gordon.
Services will be at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday at Congregation Tifereth Israel in Lincoln.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9583, martha.stoddard@owh.com
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