John Hunter Gordon III, creator of Krewe of Orpheus super-sized float, dies at 58
December 07, 2010 Times Picayune
Submitted by N.O.V.A.


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John Hurter Gordon III, who was instrumental in creating one of the most memorable floats to roll during
Mardi Gras and who co-founded the Northshore Hockey League, died Saturday after a battle with cancer. He was
58.

Mr. Gordon joined New Orleans' Krewe of Orpheus in its infancy and helped grow the organization into the
superkrewe it is today, said Fred Nuccio, who works for the organization. He served on the krewe's board and
as its treasurer and vice president. His love of horses led him to claim the spot as the organization's head
riding lieutenant.

But Mr. Gordon's work to extend the Smokey Mary, the krewe's lengthy steam locomotive, into the kind of
float that carried coach Sean Payton in the Saints' February victory parade is perhaps his greatest legacy
within the organization. As its officer, he found the money to expand the float from three cars to six and
persuaded members to ride on the behemoth, forever cementing its place in Mardi Gras lore, Nuccio said.

Mr. Gordon, who lived near Covington, also found his niche on the north shore, where he and his family moved
in 1981. He co-founded the Northshore Hockey League in western St. Tammany Parish and also helped to bring
in-line hockey to Saint Paul's School in Covington, where his son attended school and where he then spent
several years as a coach.

In 2000, he persuaded Brother Ray Bulliard, Saint Paul's principal, that the school needed a hockey team,
even though the team had to practice at an old roller rink in Covington and travel to Metairie to compete,
said Lou Luzynski, who organized the team with Mr. Gordon. Mr. Gordon worked with a local businessman who
owned an empty warehouse near Goodbee to build the St. Tammany Arena, supplying an old floor he found at a
former Junior Olympics site in New Orleans and glass previously used by a minor league hockey team in
Missouri to get the sports complex started, Luzynski said.

Hundreds of children have gone through the in-line hockey program at the arena, in no small part because of
what Mr. Gordon worked to accomplish, he said.

"John was just remarkable in the way he could appeal to your better self," Luzynski said. "He was just so
sincere that you had to listen to that."

Mr. Gordon, who was a partner in Orleans Capital Management, also served in many other civic and
professional endeavors, including service on the board of directors at Christ Episcopal School in Covington,
and as an adviser and executive board member for the National Conference for Public Employee Retirement
Systems.

Survivors include his wife, Deborah Broadwell Gordon; a son, John Hurter Gordon IV; his father, Clayton Hill
Gordon; his mother, Grace Fletcher Gordon; a brother, Peter Fletcher Gordon; and a sister, Susan Gordon
Kern.

A funeral will be held Wednesday at noon at Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St. in Covington.
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Private burial will follow.