Dr. Robert Macaire Gordon was born in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England to George and Eva Gordon and was the youngest after two sisters. He is predeceased by his sisters Evelyn and Irene and survived by his wife Lynda Fletcher-Gordon, daughters Claire Gordon (Gary) and Mia Fletcher-Gordon, his son Stuart and a colourful cast of other family members.
After a stint as a London “Bobby”, Rob found his way to Vancouver by way of Hong Kong and Australia and enrolled at Simon Fraser University to complete his Master’s Degree. He went on to the University of British Columbia and completed his PhD.
In 1985, he became a faculty member of the Simon Fraser University School of Criminology. Known affectionally by some as “the captain”, Rob held several pivotal roles during his time at Simon Fraser University, including a six-year stint as associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), and 15 years as the director of the School of Criminology. He was also a founding director of the International Cybercrime Research Centre, co-founder of the Centre for Restorative Justice, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Forensic Research.
As associate dean, Rob was instrumental in the start-up of the FASS One program for first-year students and shepherded the creation of the Department of World Languages and Literatures. He also designed, implemented and directed the University’s highly-renowned Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program.
Outside SFU, Rob was a consultant to different levels of government in Canada and beyond, serving on advisory boards and panels dealing with a range of legal and criminal issues, such as adult guardianship, adult protection, and mental health law. Rob worked tirelessly for many years in drafting legislation in B.C., Yukon, and other Canadian jurisdictions, as well as working on similar reforms in Eastern Europe on behalf of the Council of Europe. In 2013, the Governor General of Canada awarded him the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work on these issues.
He was also a prolific writer, having authored numerous books, book chapters, journal articles, and official reports on youth crime and youth gangs, adult guardianship law, adult protection law, health law, the abuse and neglect of the elderly and restorative justice. He was a member of several professional associations including the American Society of Criminology and the Western Society of Criminology.
Well-known as British Columbia’s go-to expert for analysis on crime and policing, Rob became a sought-after voice for all major Canadian and international news outlets over the years. Whether he was out on his tractor or taking a well-deserved vacation, Rob was always quick to pick up the phone or return an email when a reporter contacted him. With more than 1,500 media mentions, he received his first SFU Newsmaker Award in 2007 and a Lifetime Achievement Award later in 2023. Although he will be deeply missed, Rob Gordon's contributions to the School of Criminology and Simon Fraser University will keep his spirit alive.
Outside of academia, Rob flourished climbing mountains conquering Mount Mehru, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest base camp along with most of the local mountains. His other siren call was sailing up and down the west coast in his first boat Artic Spirits and, later, Sea Otter.
Rob has been described as a leader, dedicated, tireless, affable, humorous, larger than life, down-to-earth, a great friend, ambitious, a problem solver, wonderful, thoughtful, forthright and no-nonsense.
There will be a Celebration of Rob’s Life on July 12, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The Service will be held at the Leslie and Gordon Diamond Family Auditorium, Simon Fraser University. The Celebration and scrumptious refreshments will be held at the Diamond Alumni Centre a short walk from the Auditorium. Directions to both of these venues can be found on the SFU website.