A wonderful ride has sadly come to an end. For 54 years, Gordon Kahn Sr. has been Prince Charming (P.C.) to his Cinderella (Cindy), Pat Kahn. He was Pops to his children and grandchildren. Raised by his parents in the Los Angeles area, Gordon spent his youth playing sports, surfing, working on cars and spending time in the southern California wilderness camping, hiking and fishing.
As a young man, Gordon was enlisted for six eventful years as a sonar operator in the U.S. Navy. His love of cars continued past his time in the Navy, leading to owning and operating a garage in Los Angeles before going to work as a mechanic for the California Department of Transportation.
The story of Prince Charming and Cindy started in 1962. The romance blossomed over several dates, the most memorable one at Disneyland. Gordon collected Mickey Mouse memorabilia throughout his life, a passion sparked by the love he found with Pat at The Happiest Place on Earth in the fall of ’62. Prince Charming and Cindy married in December of the same year and started a family shortly thereafter.
Gordon and Pat moved around southern California, building a career and a family. From a remote ranch in the high desert of southern California to a suburb in the Los Angeles valley, they loved and grew together as husband and wife and as a family.
In the early ’80s, Prince Charming and Cindy moved their family to the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. Gordon took on the task of helping build a small country town into a thriving suburb of Dallas. Pat found great success with a company supplying the booming clean room industry. Shortly after the move to Texas, they made the youngest addition to the family.
Gordon and Pat remained in Texas through the mid ’90s, but the siren song of the mountains was calling them. Years of camping trips led them to fall in love with a small mountain town in southwestern Colorado. What began as plans for a vacation cabin morphed into plans for a new home. Prince Charming and Cindy decided to retire (they thought) and move to their new home.
Not long after moving, Prince Charming and Cindy decided to start a small business and Victoria’s Reign was created. What began as a small, family endeavor slowly grew and took on new form, culminating in the highly successful restaurant Victoria’s Parlor. Fifteen years after retiring from professional life in Texas, Prince Charming and Cindy retired from small business ownership in southwestern Colorado.
Prince Charming and Cindy spent the following years traveling, camping, exploring and connecting with friends and family spread across the country. With a truck and travel trailer, they ventured together from coast to coast. Together, they lived these years as most only dream, crossing things off their bucket list and adding new things as they went.
Sadly, all great stories must have an end. After surviving many times where others would have abandoned hope or perished, Gordon’s final entry in the Book of Life was made on May 10, 2017. He was met in Heaven by the Lord and a great number of friends and family that preceded him. He is remembered fondly by a loving family — his wife, Pat (Pat a.k.a. Cindy); five daughters; two sons; 11 grandchildren; and a host of friends as a kind, loving, devoted husband and father. He was respected and admired by those who knew him and the numerous lives he touched during his time here.
A memorial service was held at Pagosa Bible Church on Saturday, May 13, to honor Gordon’s legacy and his memory. Gordon requested that any contributions be made to the Pagosa Bible Church Building Fund. Further information is available at 731-3120. Gordon’s family invites any who wish to offer condolences or (preferably) reminisce about the life he lived to contact them
