Paul Gordon, chairman of Gordon Food Service (GFS) in Grand Rapids, Mich., died at his home in nearby Ada the evening of Tuesday, May 6, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 84.

Paul was known for his warmth, humbleness and generosity as well as his many business achievements at GFS. Founded in 1897, it is North America's largest family-owned food service distributor, serving more than 45,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada and operating 127 retail stores.

With a deep commitment to God and a focus on serving others, Paul left a strong spiritual heritage. A lifetime member of Berean Baptist Church, he was involved with Christian organizations such as Gull Lake Ministries, serving as board chairman for more than 40 years, as well as HCJB Global and SIM. He served on the audit and finance committees of HCJB Global's board of trustees from 1990 to 1996.

"Paul was a personal encourager to me that I will never forget," said Dick Jacquin, HCJB Global's vice president of support ministries. "His unique way of bringing humor and seriousness to a situation endeared him to many as his special way of making his point. The legacy of the Gordon family covers a broad swath of God's kingdom as their desire was to have the message of Christ spread around the world. We already miss our wonderful friend, but praise God for the assurance of his home in eternity with his Lord."

HCJB Global ambassador Ron Cline called Paul a great friend of the mission. "He helped us start radio stations, build hydro plants and add on to our hospital in Quito, Ecuador," Cline said. "He and his son, Jim, have served us well on our board. He visited many of our ministry sites and introduced us to his friends who then became our friends. He was the kind of partner you could call anytime for prayer, counsel or help. The whole Christian world will greatly miss Paul, but his legacy will live on through his family and the ministries he helped."

Born July 13, 1923, in Grand Rapids, Paul was the first son of Ben and Ruth Gordon. Some of his earliest childhood memories were those of his father, struggling to help operate the grocery business during the Great Depression.

Paul attended Wheaton College from 1941 to 1943 before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving as a gunnery officer. Upon his discharge in 1946, he attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 1947 with a degree in business. At the request of his father, Paul then joined the newly reorganized GFS. On July 17, 1948, he married Dorothy "Dottie" Duncan.

In 1965 Paul succeeded his father as president of GFS and his brother John became secretary treasurer. Together they initiated many industry innovations, including state-of-the-art warehouse technology. In 1985 Paul helped organize a marketing organization known as Markon Cooperative, bringing together four other major independent distributors with GFS.

Paul stepped down as president in 1990, passing the torch to his son, Dan. Throughout his career, Paul was honored with numerous distinguished awards, including the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Foodservice Distributors Association.

In addition to his wife of nearly 60 years, Dorothy, he is survived by four children, Dan, Connie, Jim and Joyce, 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 13. For more information on Paul and his life, visit www.gfspaulgordon.com.

Release Date: May 9, 2008