Lakeville, Maine - D. Gordon Mott died July 9, 2026, at his home in Lakeville, ME, at the age of 94. He was born in 1932 to William and Alice (McNeil) Mott in Dalhousie, New Brunswick. He became a U.S. citizen in 1967.

Gordon grew up on the shore where the Restigouche River meets the Bay of Chaleur. At a young age, Gordon learned to handle boats from his father who was the local harbor pilot. Gordon's love of being on the water - whether salt or fresh - lasted throughout his life.

Following graduation from high school, Gordon was drawn to two options: join the crew on one of the cargo ships visiting Dalhousie and begin a life at sea or go to the University of New Brunswick and study forestry. A scholarship to UNB tipped the scale in that direction. He received a BSc in Forestry in 1954 and went on to earn a master's degree at Yale School of Forestry in 1957. After ten years as a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, Gordon moved to the United States to take additional courses in Yale Graduate School and began a 30 year career with the U.S. Forest Service, working in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine. Gordon practiced forestry with a focus on the health of the environment. He played a key role in reducing the use of chemical pesticides during spruce budworm outbreaks and encouraging the use of Bacillus-tk, an organic material, instead. In his decades of private forestry practice, he valued working with landowners who wanted a long-term, multi-purpose relationship with their land.

Among Gordon's adventures was living on an otherwise uninhabited island off the coast of Maine for two years with his wife, Virginia "Ginny." Another adventure spanning sixteen years was raising a litter of coyotes with Ginny on behalf of the Cooperative Federal Wildlife Unit for research and educational purposes. Life with coyotes opened a new window on the natural world around us.

In 2020, Gordon brought together a wonderful team of like-minded people to establish the Almanac Region Land Trust in Lakeville. This gem protects unique parcels of land including forty acres of old growth forest registered with the Maine Natural Areas program, outlooks offering beautiful views of many lakes, and a stretch of lovely shore land on one of those lakes.

Gordon is survived by his wife and partner of nearly 49 years, Virginia (Larrabee) Mott. Theirs was a marriage rich in love and adventures large and small. He is also survived by four sons from a previous marriage and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Special thanks to Nurse Emily who helped care for Gordon.

A memorial service will take place at a later date.