Father Gordon Gerald Tavis, OSB

Monk of Saint John's Abbey
Collegeville, Minnesota

Born: August 28, 1925

Professed: September 7, 1953

Ordained: June 7, 1958

Died: November 21, 2025

Gerald Levone Tavis was the third of five children born to John and Laurabel (Wilmes) Tavis at the Saint Alexius Catholic hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota, on 28 August 1925.  His father was a banker turned dairy farmer, and the family lived in Mandan, North Dakota.  The children attended Saint Joseph parish grade school. At that time, the parish priests were monks of Saint John’s Abbey.

Gerald started playing the violin while in grade school.  His grandfather, Lorenz Tavis, gave Gerald his cornet the summer before he entered Mandan High School.  He not only played in the high school concert and marching band, but also in a high school and other dance bands.  After graduating from high school, Gerald enlisted in the US Naval Aviation.  While waiting to be called to active duty in the Navy, he attended North Dakota State University (NDSU), majoring in Chemistry. 

After his discharge from the Navy in July 1946, Gerald returned to North Dakota and joined a local swing dance band, playing both the trumpet and violin. When his father bought a grocery store in Fargo, Gerald became the assistant manager. In September 1950, he enrolled in Saint John’s University, majoring in philosophy. Desiring to become a priest within a religious community, Gerald petitioned Abbot Baldwin Dworshak, OSB, and was accepted into the novitiate on September 6, 1952, receiving the religious name Gordon.

Brother Gordon professed vows as a Benedictine monk on September 7, 1953, completed his BA degree in philosophy in 1954, entered Saint John’s Divinity School, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1958. After ordination, Father Gordon began a long career first as an instructor in theology and psychology, and then as the director of the Saint John’s Institute for Mental Health from 1959 to 1963.

In 1962, Father Gordon was appointed assistant business manager of the Order of Saint Benedict and served as Director of Financial Aid for Saint John’s University (1963-1969), Physical Plant Manager (1964-1967), Auxiliary Enterprise Manager (1965-1971), and Director of Planning for Saint John’s Abbey (1969-1971). In 1971, Father Gordon enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Fellow in the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management, receiving an MMGT. Returning to Saint John’s, Father Gordon was appointed Vice President for Administrative Services for Saint John’s University (1972-1975). In June of 1975, he was appointed Prior of Saint John’s Abbey until June of 1980, when he became Treasurer of the Order of Saint Benedict and Director of Buildings and Grounds. From 1986 to 1996, Father Gordon served as one of the American Cassinese Congregation’s financial officers.

 After 16 years as treasurer, Father Gordon resigned and began assisting in the Saint John’s Preparatory School finance office. On July 1, 1998, Father Gordon was appointed the president of Saint John’s Preparatory School. In 1999, he received the Saint John’s Administrator of the Year award.

Recognizing Father Gordon’s leadership and devotion to the preparatory school, the alumni/ae association conferred upon Father Gordon the Armor of Light Award in 2002. The award citation noted: “Father Gordon has referred to his presidency as a 'grandfatherly retirement' job. What he didn’t know, even himself, at the time is that he would become exactly as he predicted—a great friend and mentor to students, a man filled with wisdom and measured decisions, a man of experience—knowing every single part of the whole Saint John’s—a man of integrity and charity; compassion and insight.” In 2006, Father Gordon resigned as president but continued to work with the financial aspects of the preparatory school.

In retirement, Father Gordon stayed busy with all aspects of Saint John’s and, in 2004, was appointed to the Task Force on Corporate Structure and Management. He did a tremendous amount of work on the task force, from researching, authoring documents, and participating actively in negotiations with Saint John’s University, which led to the creation of a new separate corporation for Saint John’s University.

Father Gordon recognized the dramatic changes in demographics for monastic communities in the American Cassinese Congregation and created a model that would give them an accurate sense of their future size.

Father Gordon was a gentle person with a ready smile. He accepted many extraordinary administrative and pastoral challenges with calm, dedication, and persistence, always listening respectfully and welcoming advice. The community enjoyed Father Gordon playing his violin along with his friend, Fr. Donald LeMay at the keyboard, accompanying monastic sing-alongs at various events.

Notwithstanding his many and demanding responsibilities, he was above all an exemplary monk, zealous for the Eucharist, the Liturgy of Hours, and the communal life. We were enormously blessed by his presence among us and continue to benefit from the fruits of his labor.

Father Gordon died on Friday, 21 November 2025, in the Abbey Health Center at 100 years old. He is survived by his brother, Ronald (Marty) Tavis, Avon, Indiana, and the community of Saint John’s Abbey. The monks, family, and friends will receive the body on Friday, 28 November at 7:00 pm and celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial for Father Gordon on Saturday, 29 November at 10:30 am in the Saint John’s Abbey and University Church, with interment in the abbey cemetery. The service will be live-streamed at youtube.com/saintjohnsabbey.