Gordon R. Lindeen, Jr.

1930 – 2020

Dedicated to Helping People

Gordon R. Lindeen, Jr., age 90, passed away from natural causes October 2020 at home in Simi Valley, California. He retired from his law practice on Los Angeles Ave. earlier in 2020 and lies with his wife at the Simi Valley Public Cemetery that he helped to create and protect and served as counsel for many years.

For the last 60 years, Gordon’s primary hobby was connecting with people and helping them through the practice of law.  He was on the Varsity Speech and Debate Team (with William F. Buckley Jr.) and competed with the Intercollegiate Rifle Club at Yale University, but his real hobbies after college were serving the community and helping people.

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Gordon came to Simi Valley with his  Angeleno wife Ann to work for Rocketdyne in 1958 but soon found far greater satisfaction working for the communities of the Valley: Simioplis; Tapo; Santa Susanna; and Community Center.  They moved from their small trailer to a house on Alamo Street and Gordon started a law practice in his home to serve the needs of all of the residents of the Valley.

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In the 1960’s Gordon’s practice had grown too large for the house and so he built an office building on Los Angeles Avenue.  At this time, before the 118 freeway and with only a few thousand residents, this building was large and highly visible not just to the Valley but also to anyone traveling on what was the major thoroughfare between Ventura and Los Angeles through the Santa Susanna Pass Road.  He maintained his solo practice there until 2020.

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As the only attorney in the Valley, Gordon started augmenting his practice by creating special districts.  The work did not pay but it created structures to provide services to everyone in the Valley.  He formed a lighting district, a sewer district, a cemetery district, a flood control district and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, among others. Later, when Simi Valley was incorporated, some of these districts were absorbed into the city, but others remain.

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Gordon was always proud of the special districts because they often provided better service with directors specifically elected for the narrow role of each district. As proof, compare the outstanding facilities and service of the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District to those of most cities in the region  With this interest and expertise on special districts he worked as outside counsel for many of them, including the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District for decades, the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District,  and the Personnel Commission of the Simi Valley Unified School District

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Gordon volunteered for many civic and service organizations, including

  • the Toastmasters,
  • the Tapo Country Club, Simi Valley Rotary,
  • the Ventura County Chapter of the American Red Cross (past board chairman);
  • the County Assessment Appeals Board;
  • the Simi Valley United Methodist Church,
  • the Simi Valley United Methodist Church (counsel and Laity Board member)
  • the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce (past chairman);
  • 4-H (leader);
  • the Vasa Order – a Scandinavian fraternal society (leader and member);
  • the Simi Valley Historical Society (general volunteer and help),
  • and People to People International.
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Gordon is particularly proud of the cross that still stands on Mount McCoy. He provided legal solutions first with the Park District, then with the Historical Society, against constant lawsuits to tear down the cross.  Others donated funding, tools, equipment and hard work to restore and preserve this historical monument on the Missions Trail from the early 1800’s.

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