Daryl Eugene Gordon was born on October 25, 1960, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to John Gordon and Minerva (Colvin) Gordon. Daryl accepted Christ at an early age and attended several local churches

Daryl always had a passion for firetrucks. As a young child, at the sound of a fire siren he would look for the fire engines or trucks and follow them on his bike.

Daryl graduated from Princeton High School in 1979. A skilled athlete, he was a member of the 1978 Division I State Football Championship team and a lifeguard for the Woodlawn Community Pool. After graduation, Daryl continued his education and attended Ball State University, majoring in business administration. While he was there, he played offensive guard for the Ball State Cardinals. Daryl enjoyed his college days and became a member of the Delta Iota Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and met the love of his life, Angela Shives.

They married August 5, 1989, in Gary, Indiana. From this union, they were blessed with two beautiful girls, Angelique and Chelsea Gordon. Daryl was always happy to share that being married to Angie was the “best thing” he ever did in his life. A devoted family man, he always put his “girls” first.

When Daryl was a senior in high school, he joined the Woodlawn Fire Department as a volunteer. He remained a volunteer firefighter until he was accepted into the Cincinnati Fire Department in 1985. Upon the start of his career, Daryl was not content with sitting still. He volunteered to receive training as a bomb technician and attended Red Stone Arsenal Hazardous Device School in Huntsville, Alabama. Daryl served on details that assisted in scanning areas for visits from President Clinton, President Bush, and President Barack Obama. Daryl served in this position for over 25 years of his career and earned the title of senior bomb technician. Daryl was promoted to fire apparatus operator and completed his final run on the Heavy Rescue 14.

In his spare time, some of his most cherished memories were his gatherings with his family and friends and the fireside chats he held in his backyard. Daryl was also an avid racing fan and could always be found in his garage tinkering with his dune buggy, Volkswagens, or funny cars.

Daryl leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 25 years, Angela Gordon; his children, Angelique and Chelsea Gordon; sisters, Arlene Gordon and Dorothy Gordon Johnson (Stanley); parents in-law, Joseph and Ann Shives; brother-in-law, Dale Shives; and special nephews, John Gordon Sr., Kelli Gordon, and Kerry Gordon. He also leaves his extended family and friends, Local 48, UC Mobile Care, and his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.