Gordon F Nary 1935 - 2025

Gordon Frances Nary, editor and publisher of Profiles in Catholicism, passed away just around midnight on November 19th, 2025.

Gordon was a dedicated artist, publisher, and advocate in public health and for social justice. Among his many contributions toward advocacy include his online journal Profiles in Catholicism and previously the journal for The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care. 

Gordon was born January 13, 1935 in Aurora Illinois, to Frank Nary and Helen Nary, nee Wesso. He was the oldest of three children, and deeply cared for his two sisters, Marcia Helen Vasquez, and Sandra Louise Nary. 

He was a student at Marmion Military Academy, where he played football, and completed his undergraduate work at Loyola University in Chicago during the Korean War. Gordon went on to complete his post-graduate work at DePaul University.

Among his early vocational adventures, Gordon worked as a “shamash” at an Orthodox Jewish funeral home, an assistant metallurgist making 90-millimeter shells during the Korean War, and an insurance agent. He dabbled in advertising, creating iconic designs and copy, before he dedicated himself fully to being an artist, exhibiting locally at the Old Town Art Fair in Chicago, IL.

It was Gordon’s early advocacy for patient-centered care in the AIDS Pandemic that led to his founding in 1987 of the Physicians Association for AIDS Care (PAAC), the first organization supporting U.S. physicians treating AIDS patients. He later started The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) and published its highly-regarded journal. Through these entities, Gordon influenced early AIDS policy in the U.S. and internationally. This included providing testimony before Congress regarding the care of women and children with HIV in the United States. He also traveled extensively as an advocate, including to Ukraine to help train physicians to care for people with HIV/AIDS.

He is survived by his nephews and nieces, including Michael Jones (Susan Jones), Bruce Jones, Marita Vasquez, Paul Vasquez, Susana Vasquez (Daniel Winter), and Michael Ryson-Vasquez. 

His taste in music, books, cinema, art, and cooking continues to live on in his many grandnephews and grandnieces including Camille Jones, Emma Jones, Laila Cespedes, Daniel Cespedes, Val Cespedes, Jared Charnes, and Paul Vasquez, Nathan Vasquez, and Joe Vasquez. 

He was a devoted Catholic and attended mass at Chicago's Ascension Church. He was cared for by many within the Catholic community including Catholic Charities, and many close friends who visited him at the Chicago Hattie Callner Apartments.

Among his favorite creative expressions of art were the book series The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell and Citizen Kane, by Orson Welles. His favorite music included classical to showtunes and jazz, and Chet Baker's "You Don't Know What Love is" was a favorite till the end.

Mass to be held at Holy Name Cathedral at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Catholic Charities of Chicago at catholiccharities.net. Inquiries may be directed to photomj@sbcglobal.net.

You may read Eileen Quinn Knight, Ph.D. 2024 interview with Gordon at https://www.catholicprofiles.org/post/an-interview-with-gordon-nary

Photographs and Artwork