Jonathan Eri Gordon
Service
Dec. 14, 2022
12:00 p.m.
Goldman Funeral Group - Skokie Chapel
Jonathan Eri Gordon, 51, of Chicago, died on Friday, December 9, 2022, surrounded by his family. Jon was a 1990 graduate of Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook where he was a star of the cross country and track teams. His success on the track earned him a scholarship to Northern Michigan University where he was a member of the NMU cross country and track teams. After graduating with an accounting degree in 1995, he attended Florida Coastal Law School in Jacksonville, Florida, earning his J.D. in 1999. While he loved working in law, his real passion was always cross country and track. He began a career in coaching while in Jacksonville at St. John's High School from 1999 to 2001. His success at St. John's earned him a position on the cross country and track coaching staff at the University of Chicago from 2002 to 2005. While still with the University of Chicago, he took on the head coaching duties of the both the boys' and girls' cross country and track teams at Chicago's Northside College Prep in 2004. He spent 13 seasons at Northside, starting with just six athletes, and building a city powerhouse with hundreds of athletes, regularly winning the city title, conference and placing strong in the state championships. From Northside, he moved on to Chicago's Marist High School in 2017, again taking an underperforming program and building another winner, in 2021 winning the Catholic League Championship and becoming the Catholic Coach of the Year. Jon could train anyone who had the courage to become a distance runner and worked hard to do so, obtaining scholarships for close to 100 athletes. The young people loved him, he loved them back. Jon had an immense passion for coaching high schoolers. He taught hundreds of kids how to believe in themselves and achieve success. At Marist, he loved his kids, his coaching staff and the administration. Jon is survived by his parents (Ret.) Justice Robert E. Gordon and Marilyn Statland Gordon; his brothers Anthony (Lisa), Lawrence (Ronna), his sister Lori Kenzel (Hal), and numerous nieces and nephews.
Service Wednesday, 12 Noon, at The Chapel, 8851 Skokie Blvd., Skokie (at Niles Center Rd.). The service will be livestreamed on Jon's webpage at www.goldmanfuneralgroup.com. Interment Shalom Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Marist High School, www.marist.net/support-marist/donate-now/ Info: The Goldman Funeral Group (847) 478-1600.