John Gordon, left, designed the iconic Green Bay Packers "G" logo that has become one of the most well-known logos in the NFL. In this 1962 photograph, Packers equipment manager Gerald "Dad" Braisher looks at a portrait of himself painted by Gordon, who was Braisher’s assistant as well as a St. Norbert College art student at the time the football shaped “G” was designed and selected to be the Packers logo. The “G” has been on the Packers football helmets since 1961. Green Bay Press-Gazette Photo
Associated Press
DE PERE, Wis. — John Gordon, an artist who as a young art student helped design the Green Bay Packers' distinctive “G” team logo, has died at age 83.
Gordon died Saturday, said Matt Cotter, the owner of Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care in De Pere, Wisconsin. The funeral home posted an obituary which says Gordon died “surrounded by his family after living with Alzheimer's disease.”
Gordon was an art student at St. Norbert College in 1961 and was working as an assistant for Packers equipment manager Gerald “Dad” Braisher when he was offered the chance to design the team's logo under then-coach Vince Lombardi, WLUK-TV reported.
“Dad came down from his meeting with (Vince) Lombardi with a piece of paper in his hand, and he said that Lombardi wants a logo… and it's going to be a ‘G’ in a football shape,” Gordon said in a video produced 10 years ago by St. Norbert College.
Within 24 hours, Gordon's sketched design was approved and the Packers' original logo was born.
“John lent his talent to the Packer organization and helped design the ‘Packer G,’” Gordon's obituary states.
Gordon's name and his sketch are featured in a display at the Packers Hall of Fame museum at Lambeau Field, said Packers curator Brent Hensel.
The original “G” as designed by Gordon was shaped like a football, but it has been modified over the years to the current oval “G.”
Despite the popular belief that the “G” stands for greatness, it in fact stands for Green Bay, Packers team historian Cliff Christl wrote in a 2015 article on the Packers’ website.
Gordon was a lifelong artist who taught art at Parkview Middle School in Ashwaubenon before becoming an adjunct professor of art at his alma mater, St. Norbert College.
His survivors include his wife, Dianne, his ex-wife, Joan Gordon, and their six children, three grandchildren, a brother and sister and three stepchildren.
Gordon’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at Faith Lutheran Church in Green Bay.
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OBITUARY
Cotter Funeral & Cremation Care
John Michael Gordon
April 7, 1940 — September 30, 2023
John Michael Gordon (age 83) passed away peacefully on September 30, 2023, surrounded by his family after living with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born in Marshfield, WI to Jack and Jean Gordon and grew up in Green Bay, WI. John was a proud graduate of Premontre High School, St. Norbert College, and UW Madison. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend.
John was an extremely talented artist and dedicated his life to teaching and mastering his craft. John taught art to students at Parkview Middle School, taught private art classes to children and adults, and developed a home study art program for children all over the country through Gordon School of Art. After he retired from Ashwaubenon Public Schools, he became an adjunct professor of art at St. Norbert College. An impressionist, John completed thousands of paintings and was masterful at landscapes, portraits, self-portraits, and still lifes.
John had many beloved students and was happiest when he could bear witness to the profound, often therapeutic and spiritual effect art had on his pupils.
John was a lover of ideas, a philosopher, a seeker, a fisherman, an outdoorsman, a musician, a writer, and a book collector. John delighted his children with cross-country camping trips, summers at a family cottage, practical jokes, and his playfully inventive craftsmanship.
He loved sports, played basketball, baseball and softball, and loved swimming with his wife Dianne at the YMCA. He and Dianne shared many wonderful years in Kewaunee on their hobby farm where they raised chickens and pigs.
John was very proud of his history with the Green Bay Packers and would often reminisce about working as an assistant equipment manager under Dad Braiser and Vince Lombardi. John lent his talent to the Packer organization and helped design the “Packer G.” John was recognized for this contribution and is honored in the Packer Hall of Fame.
John had a smart, mischievous sense of humor that he passed on to his children and grandchildren. All his life, John was delighted and fascinated by other people. In his later years, he would strike up conversations and share his warmth, enthusiasm and humor wherever he went.
John is survived by his loving wife Dianne and their beloved dogs Audie and Annie; his former wife Joan Gordon and their six children Stephanie (Rick) Johnson, Benjamin, Molly, Jeremy (Dana Schowalter), Joshua, and Andrew (Sofia) Gordon; his three grandchildren, Jackson Gordon, Harvey Schowalter-Gordon, and Adelaide Gordon; his brother Joel (Meredith) Gordon, his sister Julie Gordon, and many nieces and nephews; He is also survived by his stepchildren Emily (Benji) Scherschligt, Michael (Carey Jacobsen) Marlett, and Andrew (Nicole) Marlett, and his step-grandchildren Elise and Aidan Marlett, Stella, Jacob, and May Scherschligt, and Jack, Megan, Sophie, and Natalie Marlett.
John was preceded in death by his cousin Jimmy McCann, his parents Jack and Jean Gordon, and his step-grandchild Lucy Marlett.
He will be dearly missed, and his memory will be cherished by the many people he touched throughout his life.
A heartfelt thank you to the compassionate staff of Unity Hospice who cared for and supported John and his family during his final days.
Please join us at Faith Lutheran Church 2335 S Webster Ave, Green Bay, WI 54301 on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 for a visitation between 9:00am to 10:45am, followed by Services at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or Unity Hospice of Brown County.
