The Board of Trustees of the Museum of Russian Icons has announced the death of founder Gordon B. Lankton.
After opening a branch of his plastics manufacturing company in Moscow in 1992, he came to appreciate Russian culture, particularly the icon, the emblematic sacred art form stemming from the Byzantine traditions of the Russian Orthodox Christian faith.
Gordon founded the Museum of Russian Icons in 2006. From his early days as a Boy Scout collecting pennies, Gordon was a studious and passionate collector. Whether it was icons, African sculpture, World War I and II posters, or die-cast model cars, Gordon tirelessly pursued not only the objects, but also information about their origins and the artists who created them.
Lankton leaves behind a storied legacy as an investor in his community, innovative leader and storied collector.
“Gordon was a natural-born leader,” said the Museum of Russian Icons executive director, Kent dur Russell, in a statement. “He was infectiously enthusiastic, a pragmatic visionary, and an inspiration to his community and to the over 20,000 employees of his plastics company Nypro, Inc.”
Born in Illinois in 1931, Lankton graduated from Cornell University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1954. President of the school’s student government, Lankton traveled as a delegate to an international student council conference in Japan, a trip believed to have sparked his love for adventures abroad, according to the museum.
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