Memories of Gordon "Skip" Craig Rowland

In memory of

Gordon "Skip" Craig Rowland

Mokelumne Hill, CA

May 5, 1950 - September 13, 2025

May 5, 1950 - Sep 13, 2025

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Amanda Carson

2025, Amador County, CA, USA

Date Night! — with Gordon and Fair Patricia

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Amanda Carson

2024, Amador County, CA, USA

Amanda Carson

2025

Come on, Guys!

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Kevin and Luisa Hempson Almeida

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$165.00

Raised by 3 people

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Kathleen Ball

I’m so very sorry to hear of Gordon’s passing. May he rest in peace.

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Amanda Carson

Let’s start with the basics: My dad was not what you’d call traditional. While other kids were learning how to ride bikes, I was learning the art of the dumpster dive — because you never knew when the right treasure might show up! We didn’t throw away memories. We rescued them. He didn’t teach me to ride a bike — no, that would’ve been far too tame. Instead, he gave me a ride up a 200-foot tree in Grandma’s front yard, piggyback style, because apparently, gravity is just a suggestion when you’re a daredevil dad with a six-year-old thrill seeker.
And while other kids were learning about healthy lung development in school, I was at home puffing cigars with my old man and brother at the ripe age of eight. Who needs Flintstones vitamins when you’ve got Swisher Sweets and parental supervision that screams “YOLO”? Ah yes, the sweet aroma of childhood and secondhand smoke…
But my dad had a softer side. A spiritual side. The magic wasn’t just in the chaos. It was in the way Dad made the ordinary holy. Every Christmas, he would settle us down and read Luke chapter 2, his voice steady and sacred. The world around us could be crumbling, but the birth of Jesus, told in Dad's voice, made everything feel whole again.
And then there were the bedtimes. Every single night of my childhood, no matter how late he worked, he’d tuck us in. He didn’t toss a “love ya” over his shoulder. He knelt, pulled the blankets up just right, and said it deliberately: “I love you.” Like a vow. Like a lighthouse. Like a father who’d lasso the stars if I asked him to.
Fast forward a couple of decades, and when I finally got engaged — after years of being proudly independent and maybe a little picky — his response wasn’t weepy or sentimental. As if he’d been waiting for this moment forever, he said, “It’s about time!”
He wasn’t impressed by social niceties, either. If someone was rude or cranky, he'd flash his signature shrug and declare, “Like ‘em anyway!” as if that settled the matter. And in a way, it did. He taught me that love isn’t a reaction — it’s a choice, a stubborn, generous one.
Now, as an adult, he’s one of my favorite spiritual mentors and was my go-to fishing partner — not because he always knew where the fish were (he didn’t), or because he baited my hook (he didn't), but because he listened, laughed, and occasionally pretended not to hear when I cussed at the line. He told me that the tug on the line is a lot like God — you don’t always see it coming, but when it hits, you know you’re not alone.
So yeah. Some dads teach you how to change a tire. Mine taught me how to climb trees, love cranky people, find treasure in trash, and speak truth in tenderness. He broke all the traditional rules — and in doing so, wrote his own gospel. One I’m still learning from every day.

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In response to "What always reminds you of Gordon?"

Pamela Zachary Morneault

Kevin and Luisa Hempson Almeida

Debbie Wendt

John Eckhart

Comments:

Cindy Greer

This is truly beautiful. He was a whole lot of everything all at once and I’m glad he had you and Ben. I’m... Read more This is truly beautiful. He was a whole lot of everything all at once and I’m glad he had you and Ben. I’m very sorry for your... Read more This is truly beautiful. He was a whole lot of everything... Read more

Kevin and Luisa Hempson Almeida

Beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing. Beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing. Beautiful memories. Thank you for sharing.

Debbie Wendt

This is so sweet Amanda. Thank you so much for sharing This is so sweet Amanda. Thank you so much for sharing This is so sweet Amanda. Thank you so much for sharing... Read more

John Eckhart

I dived a few dumpsters with your dad. I’m always tempted to this day. I dived a few dumpsters with your dad. I’m always tempted to this day. I dived a few dumpsters with your dad. I’m always tempted... Read more