Obituary of Georgiana Sheldon Gordon

Georgiana Sheldon Gordon, age 77, died Monday, January 14, 2013, at her home in Arlington, Virginia from brain cancer. She had been a resident in the Washington area for the past fifty years. Gigi was born at Wilmington, DE on June 28, 1935, the first child of Georgiana Coxe and George Sheldon Gordon. She is survived by brothers William Griscom Coxe Gordon of North Augusta, SC, and Christopher Sheldon Gordon of Batesville, VA; and a sister Margaret Priscilla Gordon, of London, England; five nieces and nephews; and by her special friend Robert Schwabauer, of Arlington, VA. Gigi had a lifelong passion for learning, especially studying the languages and cultures of the world. She attended Wellesley College, studied in France and Germany, then graduated from the University of California at Berkley in 1960. She worked at the Library of Congress, and as a Russian language instructor at Howard University. In 1962 she earned a MA from Middlebury College in Vermont. From 1962 to 1966 she worked for the US Information Agency, as a guide-interpreter in the USSR. Gigi also taught French at the Bel Pre School in Silver Springs, worked for Quaker Press, in Washington, and was a lecturer in Russian at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Later she worked on Russian translation projects with Informatics, as a science analyst. She worked for the USDA with child nutrition programs until she retired in 2000. Gigi enjoyed the out-of-doors, especially skiing, hiking, and camping with her friends in the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. In 1979, Gigi was stricken with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which initially left her unable to walk. She displayed great determination to return to an independent life, and following rehabilitation recovered a limited ability to walk. She had a wonderful way of appreciating life despite her disability. Gigi loved her garden, classical music, fine art, traveling, and gourmet dining. In retirement, she played the recorder and the flute, and enjoyed playing with a group from the Levine School of Music. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, the Culpepper Garden Tai Chi Group, and the Arlington Seniors Dining-out Group. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Feb 2 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, at 2:00 p.m. Internment will be at Monticello Memorial Park, Charlottesville, VA. Memorial gifts may be made to the Guillain-Barré Foundation International or to the Arlington Free Clinic.