Gordon James Contival Sr.

Local rancher Gordon James Contival Sr. died on Sunday evening, August 29, 2021 peacefully surrounded by family, of natural causes at the home of his daughter Sandy Brisendine in Cassel, California, where he had gone to be safer from the Covid virus. At the time of his passing he was ninety three years old.

Gordon was born on September 18, 1927 in Cienega, California, at his grandparents homestead to George Contival and Irene Everett. He was born early, tiny but tough and family lore says that his grandma kept him warm in a box on the door of the wood stove. He was raised in rural San Benito County until his father George Contival started a dairy in South San Jose. Gordon helped his father on the ranch milking cows and attended school in Morgan Hill until he was drafted into the Army during WWII. He was stationed in the Arctic at Baffin Island at a weather station. After the war ended, he was released and came home to be a cowboy at the Coe Ranch. Gordon remained an active member of American Legion Post 0444 in Morgan Hill.

Once a cowboy, always a cowboy, Gordon went on to wear his hat and boots for the rest of his long life. As his family grew he started driving a feed truck, first for L.W. Prouse in Coyote, then Gunter Bros. in Morgan Hill. Good friends finally convinced him to try out for a job as a groundskeeper with the Morgan Hill Unified School District where he worked until he retired in 1992.

Outside work was only part of his life. In the eastern Morgan Hill foothills, he raised Suffolk sheep, Angus and Hereford Cattle, and Border Collies. In the 1970s as his sheepherding kids were growing up and moving away he started using a Border Collie to round up his sheep. He caught the Sheep Dog Trial bug and spent the rest of his life traveling with his late wife, kids and friends, winning many sheep dog trials and a few cattle dog trials too, always making more great friends along the way. After he retired he had many students and friends that regularly came to practice working their dogs and "shooting the breeze" out in the pasture at his Morgan Hill ranch. He was a lifetime member of the Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association and sponsored a trial at the Santa Clara County Fair for many years. Over the years as he and his late wife Mary raised their children, Gordon was a 4-H leader and FFA supporter. He used to host Kindergarten field trips at the ranch, and he gave many sheep shearing demonstrations at his grandchildren's schools. For many years Gordon hauled sheep right into downtown San Jose so people could experience his amazing Border Collies at the "Bark in the Park".

Gordon is survived by children: Terri Arduain, George Contival (Julie), Linda Lego, Peggy Hebert (Danny), Rosemary Feldman, Laura Rockwell (Sam), Gordon Contival Jr. , Sandra Brisendine (Sandy was also his loving caregiver for eight years), and Rick Contival (Sherry). He was the proud grandparent to nineteen grandchildren, thirty eight great grandchildren and even great, great grandchildren.

Gordon was predeceased by his older sister Georgette Fleisher and his wonderful wife Mary Catherine Contival. He and Mary enjoyed raising and showing sheep, being part of the Santa Clara County Fair and traveling for dog trials and family vacations that sometimes included children and grandchildren. Always the cowboy, he was quite a spectacle in Hawaii wearing his traditional cowboy hat, Hawaiian shirt, jeans shorts and of course cowboy boots.

Gordon will be interned with Mary at their family plot in Burney, California. He was very lucky to live a long active, family, and friend-filled life. He will be missed by many and will be forever in our hearts. A memorial gathering will be planned for a future date.

Published in Morgan Hill Times · September 7, 2021