Mary Lurana Tracewell Gordon

Mary Lu Tracewell Gordon, affectionately known as “Mimi” and “Mama Lu” by her grandchildren, passed away at the age of 80 on June 13, 2016 at Integris Baptist Hospital, surrounded by her loving family. Mary Lu was born in Kansas City, Missouri on October 28, 1935 to Arthur Nelson and Helen Boone Tracewell. She graduated from Northeast High School in 1953, and earned her B.A. (1965), M.A. (1966) and completed the course work for her PhD in Political Science (1969) from the University of Oklahoma. Mary Lu taught political science full time at OCU from 1969 to 1973 and then part-time while attending OCU Law School, earning her Juris Doctorate in 1975. During this busy time, she and Dell were raising their twin baby daughters. Mary Lu was an Assistant Municipal Counselor for Oklahoma City from 1977 to 1982 and again from 1989 to 2005. During the interim she was in private practice with her husband, Dell Gordon. Plus, she owned and operated Additions kitchen stores during this time. Mary Lu then served for three years as a federal judicial law clerk to Judges Lee West and David Russell, which allowed her the opportunity to research and write about complex legal issues of the day – a lifelong passion.

Mary Lu was well known for her wit, intellect and unrelenting optimism. One of Mary Lu’s proudest professional accomplishments was the integral role she played as attorney in the development of the transformative MAPS and MAPS for Kids programs until her retirement in 2005. She and Dell then moved to Cleveland where he became a federal administrative law judge and she taught Constitutional Law. In 2011 they returned home to Oklahoma City and their extensive family.

Mary Lu also served her state and community as a tireless volunteer. She was a member of Oklahoma’s Crime Victims Compensation Board, a co-director of the National OEO Evaluation Program, a sponsor and participant in the Oklahoma Humanities Council, a founding member of the Ruth Bader Ginsberg American Inn of Court, and a long time board member and President of Youth Services of Oklahoma County, where she also was A National Evaluator for the United States Runaway Youth Grants System.

Mary Lu was the strong and committed ‘mater familias’ of a close and loving family. She was preceded in death by both her parents and her only brother, George Tracewell. She is survived by her husband, Dell Gordon, their four children, seven grandchildren, and one great grandchild: eldest son Kevin (Janice Mathews-Gordon), their children, Elise and Tracewell (Agata), and great-grandson Luka; as well as by her younger son, Kent (Rebecca), and their children, Genevieve and Liliana; and as well by their twin daughters, Kelley Gordon Callan (Ben) and Tracy Gordon Spanier (Tom), and their children, Mary Sarah, Jack, and John Paul. Mary Lu is also survived by her wonderful extended family, including Beverly Tracewell, Elizabeth Ogle, Robert Gordon and their families and by many close friends, including “middle son” Mark Beck, Doli Mathews, Charles and Carol Blackwood and her spirit sisters Barbara Bonner, Midge Martin, Diane Lewis and Pat Dennis.

Mary Lu’s family extends special thanks to her wonderful and compassionate caregivers at Integris. Charitable donations may be made to the “Mary Lu Gordon Memorial Fund” at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1146, Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1146 or online at www.occf.org. A Celebration of Mary Lu’s Remarkable Life will be held at a later date.