Victoria Jean Gordon

She died on February 7, peacefully in her home with her beloved wife and devoted pets by her side.

Victoria Jean Gordon died on February 7, peacefully in her home with her beloved wife and devoted pets by her side. She was buried in the Vashon Cemetery on February 18.

Victoria was born in Biloxi, Mississippi and moved to Bermuda, her mother’s childhood home, when she was two. Her father was in the Air Force, so her family moved often, eventually landing in Topeka, Kansas. As a young adult, Victoria lived in Lawrence, Kansas, raised her son Scot and worked as a Vet Tech for many years. In her early thirties, she went back to school, earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and then, in 1995, moved to the Puget Sound area to study Physical Therapy at the University of Puget Sound. She was in the Pacific Northwest for a week when she decided she would not be returning to Kansas. She’s been here ever since, completing her degree, working as a physical therapist at various places, including 20 years at Swedish Hospital, studying and teaching yoga.

Victoria loved nature and the outdoors and spent many happy hours playing softball, biking, backpacking, hiking, skiing and walking her little dog Hugo through the green spaces of Seattle and the beaches of Vashon. Victoria was warm-hearted, spirited and generous, making deep connections with friends and family, and was there to help in hard times. She brought experience, wisdom and open-hearted compassion to her work and to her teaching, supporting many through physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. She loved a good meditation workshop, yoga, reading and travel. She was wicked good at Scrabble.

Victoria learned much from her yoga studies, reading about spirituality and mortality, and from her philosophical discussions with others. To her beautiful smile, energy, and positive attitude, she added acceptance, peace and wisdom. She bore her physical challenges and faced her mortality with grace, courage and humor. In her final days, her peaceful, blue-eyed radiance was a comfort to everyone around her.

Victoria was preceded in death by her mother and father. She is survived by her wife Laurie Johnson, her son Scot Thompson, granddaughter Aubree Thompson, her stepmom Vicki Gordon, her siblings: Allyson Estes, Alaire Long, Bill Gordon, Andy Gordon, Marge Bauer, and Rick Gordon; the rest of the big beautiful Gordon clan and many, many friends.

In Victoria’s memory, donations can be made to End of Life Washington (endoflifewa.org) or Compassion & Choices (compassionandchoices.org). Victoria was deeply grateful for the movement that made death with dignity a possibility for her.