He Really Defined That Special Category: 'Mensch'

The mere mention of the name Allan H. Gordon brings a smile to our face.

We had the pleasure of working for and with Allan Gordon when he served as Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association in 2002.

Allan had the honor of presiding over the Philadelphia legal community as the prestigious Philadelphia Bar Association celebrated its 200th anniversary and he did a masterful job every step of the way. Allan both looked and acted the part of a Philadelphia lawyer but none of his many successes ever went to his head. He was unfailingly kind, personable, conscientious, loyal and always quite dapper. 

Allan liked a good joke or a clever story and he was also a voracious reader -- a multi-faceted, sophisticated lover of life who was interested in many things. It's fair to say that this man who was equally comfortable talking to a janitor or a judge, had no enemies. A born and bred Philadelphian, Allan graduated from the city's legendary Central High School and went on to Temple University where he remained to study law, graduating at the top of his class.

Allan was a pioneer in personal-injury law and founded his own firm shortly after graduation. Later, he joined Kolsby & Wolfe under the mentorship of legendary trial lawyer Herb Kolsby. Allan eventually became a name partner of the firm, now known as Kolsby, Gordon, Robin & Shore, one of the city’s top personal-injury practices.

Allan faced his share of adversities along the way, surviving coronary problems and open heart surgery but he never called attention to any of the bumps in the road that he encountered. Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Mary F. Platt described Allan Gordon as “an accomplished leader” who was known for “his generous spirit, wit, charm, and grace" -- a very apt description, indeed.

Former Chancellor Frank Devine said: “Allan was not just a giant in the law, he was a legend in the law. He carried himself with such excellence that he not only achieved fame, he received respect from the bench, the bar, his colleagues, his clients, and his friends.”
Allan Gorden was a mensch.

He was not only a joy to work for but he was simply a pleasure to be with at most any time and under any circumstances.

I particularly remember one business trip with him to Manhattan when we took a quick detour to the world-famous Carnegie Deli. Sitting at one of their communal tables we enjoyed huge corned beef sandwiches while Allan regaled us with humorous stories and observations. This was a man who was able to find simple pleasures in almost every encounter.

Allan Gordon died Tuesday, June 19, of lung disease in Aventura, Fla. 

Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.

RIP.