John H. Gordy

John H. Gordy of Media PA, a former Philadelphia newsman and public affairs manager of the former Scott Paper Company, died May 8th, 2022, surrounded by his family. He was 91.

He was the manager of communications and training resources for the Chester Operations of Scott Paper Company for 18 years prior to his retirement in 1989. He had been with Scott Paper Company for 26 years. He had also held managerial positions in the company’s public affairs and human resources division in Mobile Alabama and at the Company’s Scott Plaza corporate headquarters in Tinicum.

Prior to joining the Scott Paper Company, he was a reporter and rewriteman for the former Philadelphia Evening and Sunday Bulletin.

He served in both the Merchant Marines and the United States Marine Corps and later completed two years of service as a member of the 52nd Military Police Company at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he met and married his wife of 61 years, the former Gwendolyn Jean Goddard of Salem New Hampshire, who was a WAC assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center. He was twice honored as Fort Sam Houston Soldier of the month.

He was active in bicycle motocross (BMX) activities at the local, state, and national levels and served as Pennsylvania State Commissioner for the National Bicycle League in 1984 overseeing operations of the commonwealth’s 13 NBL motocross tracks.

He also served as chairman of the communications committee of the United Way of Southeast Delaware County and received the prestigious Col. James A. G. Campbell Award in 1982 for his years of service in that post.

He was a member of the board of directors of the Chester-Wallingford Chapter of the American Red Cross and the former Delaware County Home Health Services in addition to serving as public relations advisor to numerous other area community service organizations.

He and his wife operated Wine Hobby USA in Media, a retail business catering to amateur wine and beer making hobbyists during the 1970’s.

He graduated from the former Media High School in 1948 and later earned a bachelor’s degree in political science magna cum laude from the former Widener College.

He was born November 27th, 1930, at the historic Rose Tree Inn in Upper Providence Township Delaware County. The son of the late John Denard Gordy and Katherine Vaughn Broomall, daughter of the late Judge John M. Broomall, 3rd and the late Margarete Armstrong Hamilton, both descendants of prominent Delaware County families.

In addition to his wife, who predeceased him in 2016, he is survived by two sons: Bruce (Stacy) of Long Neck, DE and Kent of Boothwyn and two daughters: Melissa (Gary) Faddis of Middletown Township Delaware County and Heather Palladino (Joseph) of Soddy Daisy, TN, seven grandchildren (Bruce Jr, Amy, Robert, Andrew, Emily, Keye and Hunter) and five great grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a sister Katherine V. Levine of Boulder, CO, and a brother Thomas Larkin Gordy of Media PA.

Private funeral and burial services will be conducted at the convenience of the family.