Michael William Gordon
Apr 3, 2026
Michael William Gordon, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, died unexpectedly on Good Friday, April 3, 2026, at the Kolkata Airport after a holiday in India with his wife of 42 years, Shelli (Shannon) Gordon. In his 83 years, Mike built a remarkable life of entrepreneurship, education, public service, adventure and a deep and enduring love for Alaska.
In 1953, Mike arrived in Alaska from Mississippi, docking in Seward aboard the USS Funston one day after the eruption of Mount Spur. Not yet a state, and dominated by wilderness, Alaska was the perfect place for an adventurous and enterprising young man, and Mike quickly came to love his new home and make lifelong friends. He was an ardent Boy Scout and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout at age 13. Scouting was and is a family tradition. Mike's father and four living grandsons are also Eagle Scouts.
Mike graduated in 1960 from Anchorage High School, where he participated in band and choir and played varsity hockey. He attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he played hockey and joined ROTC, becoming a member of the Pershing Rifles. Mike transferred to the University of San Francisco for his sophomore year, where he met and married his first wife, Reidun (Olsen) Paxton, the mother of his children. After a brief 47-year interruption, Mike returned to USF and, in 2011, completed his B.A. in politics with a minor in philosophy. He earned an M.A. in writing at Alaska Pacific University in 2014.
Mike began his entrepreneurial journey on his bicycle delivering newspapers around Anchorage, shining shoes for soldiers at Elmendorf AFB and sweeping floors at McKay Hardware. He went on to work for a moving company, then as a delivery driver for a liquor wholesaler in Anchorage during summer breaks from college. In California, he worked for the Gillette Company, Hallmark Cards and the Hooper Holmes Bureau before joining the New York Life Insurance Company, becoming the youngest agent in the nation to achieve their Star Club rating. Mike, with his young family, returned to Anchorage after the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, still working as a New York Life Insurance agent, and in 1967 purchased the Bird House Bar with high school friends Norman Rokeberg and Johnny Tegstrom. After selling the Bird House a year later, Mike was determined to open an Alaska-themed bar in Anchorage. While Juneau had the Red Dog Saloon, Ester the Malamute Saloon and Homer the Salty Dog, Anchorage was missing an Alaska inspired nightclub.
Training as a radio broadcaster at KHAR, Mike met and began a longtime friendship with Ruben Gaines, great Alaska radio personality, storyteller and Alaska Poet Laureate. Ruben granted permission to use the rustic sourdough reprobate of his Alaska tall tales as the inspiration and logo for Mike's next business venture. On Jan. 1, 1970, at age 27, Mike opened what would become Anchorage's legendary Chilkoot Charlie's nightclub. For 45 years, Mike owned and operated the iconic bar, a gathering place that became woven into the fabric and culture of Alaska life. Under his leadership, "Koot's" grew into the largest independent bar and nightclub on the West Coast and became nationally known as one of the best bars in America. In 2015, he proudly sold the business to his employees, ensuring its legacy would continue for generations to come.
Dedicated to public service, Mike was twice elected to the Anchorage City Council in the early 1970s before municipal unification, simultaneously serving on the Anchorage Borough Assembly. He was the last surviving member of Anchorage's original City Council before unification. He also served two terms as Chairman of the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, first appointed by Governor Cowper and later by Governor Murkowski. Mike maintained perfect attendance for 22 years as a member of Rotary International and served a term as President of the Anchorage Downtown Rotary Club. He contributed as a board and committee member, a donor and fundraiser for many other organizations including the Boys and Girls Club, Alaska Mental Health Association, Anchorage Opera and Holy Rosary Academy.
Mike embraced life with enthusiasm and determination. He held licenses as a private investigator, life insurance producer, radio operator, real estate salesperson, open water diver and small plane pilot. An accomplished athlete and mountaineer, he completed 15 marathons and climbed the highest mountain on six of the seven continents. His most ambitious challenge was Mount Everest, where he reached an elevation of 27,500 feet on his third attempt at the age of 50. In addition to Rotary International, Mike was a member of Pioneers of Alaska, National Eagle Scout Association, Chaine des Rotisseurs and The Explorers Club.
While Anchorage was where Mike built much of his career, Halibut Cove held a special place in his heart. Since 1980, he and Shelli spent extended periods of time and most of their summers there, building deep friendships and becoming part of the unique community. After Mike retired in 2015, he and Shelli and Jacques, their standard poodle, lived full-time in Halibut Cove, comprising about 10 percent of the year-round population. Surrounded by the mountains and overlooking the waters of Kachemak Bay, Mike found joy in the simple moments and treasured the people who shared that special place. His passion for storytelling soon led him to become an author, sharing his wisdom, experiences and perspectives, along with more than a few crazy stories, gained through a life lived to its fullest. His books, "Learning the Ropes," "DAGNABIT!" and "Naked Alaskan" form the trilogy of his memoirs.
After his diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia in August 2023, added to kidney disease and an incurable lung infection, doctors did not predict Mike would return to his normal life. Always an overachiever, he proved them wrong by returning to Halibut Cove and embarking on a new adventure of travel with his wife. They began with Christmas and New Year's in Honolulu, Hawaii. They followed with an Explorers Club annual gala in New York City; cruises on the Mediterranean, South Pacific and Caribbean; and trips to Hawaii, Las Vegas, Nev., Seattle, Wash., and New Mexico, where they visited family. Their last journey together was to India, where Mike had longed to share the Taj Mahal with Shelli, and where she ultimately left a portion of his ashes.
Mike will be remembered for his larger-than-life personality, generous spirit, adventurous nature, sharp intellect and devotion to the people and places he loved. Whether welcoming friends at Chilkoot Charlie's, serving his community, climbing mountains, writing stories or sharing a quiet life in Halibut Cove, Mike left an enduring mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him. His legacy lives on in the mountains he climbed, the stories he told, the communities he helped build and the countless lives he touched along the way. His was a life fully lived with friendship, curiosity, determination and love. Mike will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
Mike was predeceased by his parents, Harry Stewart "Whitey" Gordon and Ruth Isabell (Boisch) Gordon; eldest grandson, Eric Alexander Scull; and nephew, Curt Zachary Norwood. He is survived by his wife, Shelli; daughter, Michele Ritter (Jerry); son, Michael Gordon; grandchildren, Courtney Dunford (Aaron), Jared Ritter, Jacob Ritter (Ryleigh), Benjamin Ritter (Nykole), Joseph Ritter and Lily Elbe (Jeremy); seven great-grandchildren; sister, Patricia Ryan (Mark); niece, Teri Shumake (Leslie); and many other much loved family and friends. Mike was immensely proud of his family and found great joy in watching it grow across generations.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Chilkoot Charlie's in Anchorage. Later in summer 2026, Mike's family will bury his ashes in the Halibut Cove cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Holy Rosary Academy, 1010 West Fireweed Lane in Anchorage.
