May 14, 1939-May 10, 2026

Marian Nadene Gordner, age 86, of Friendswood, Texas, passed away on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026. She was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on May 14, 1939, to Elsie and Emil Beulke.

Marian graduated from Ceresco High School in 1956 and began her career teaching in one-room country schools. In 1959, she married Louis Hackney, and together they had two children, Lorri Lou (Peters) Houpt and Marty Lee Hackney.

In 1964, Marian moved to Friendswood, where she taught private kindergarten and elementary school at Westwood Elementary. She later retired from NASA Johnson Space Center in 1995.

Marian had a lifelong passion for teaching, music, movement, and service to others. While raising her children, she founded the children’s choir at Friendswood United Methodist Church and led Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls programs. She organized and directed two clogging groups, the Clogg Hoppers and the Classic Cloggers.

Believing it was important for people to continue learning and stay active throughout life, Marian taught exercise, recorder, ukulele, and clogging classes through the Friendswood Senior Center. She also created and directed a bell choir at Friendswood Friends Church for individuals who could not read music.

In 1991, Marian married Paul LaRue Gordner. Together, they organized the Over the Hill Gang Band, bringing music and laughter to seniors throughout the area for more than 20 years. In recent years, Marian also led the Bedford Singers.

Her hobbies included music, dancing, square dancing, exercising, bowling, and helping others. Marian will be remembered for her joyful spirit, endless energy, creativity, and dedication to her community.

Marian is survived by her husband of 35 years, Paul Gordner; daughter Lorri Houpt (David); five grandchildren: Dustin Hackney (Sabrina), Andrea Kitzmann (Clint), Grant Bajpayee-Peters (Aayushi), Jessica Rivera (Tony), and Wynter Houpt; eight great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Evelyn Sporer (Dewaine) of Green Valley, Arizona, and Marilyn Knabach (Marvin) of Leesburg, Missouri.

She was preceded in death by her son, Marty Hackney; daughter-in-law, Pharris Hackney; and son-in-law, Greg Peters.

For those wishing to honor Marian’s memory, memorial donations may be made to the Friendswood Friends Church Youth Activities Fund (ffc@friendswoodfriends.org) or Saving Grace Service Dogs (sgservicedogs@gmail.com).

Saving Grace Service Dogs is administered by Marian’s nephew and his wife, who both have years of experience training service dogs. Saving Grace provides service dogs for disabled kids with seizures and autism, and for Veteran amputees and those with PTSD. Donations go specifically to disabled clients who don’t have income or social security disability who cannot pay for their veterinarian bills or dog supplies. sgservicedogs.com

Friends and family are cordially invited to the Visitation on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 from 5:00-7:00 PM at Jeter Memorial Funeral Home, 311 North Friendswood Dr. Friendswood, TX 77546. The funeral Service will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Jeter Memorial Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Friendswood Friends Cemetery, 502 S. Friendswood Dr.  Friendswood, TX 77546.

Marian expresses a big thank you to some of the many groups she and Paul have been involved with over the years; they enriched our lives with joy and purpose:

• The Clogg Hoppers
• The Classic Cloggers
• The Stars and Stripes Ukelele Band
• The Over the Hill Gang
• The Bedford Sing-a-long group
• The Friends Church Children’s Choir
• The Ringing Friends Bell Choir
• The Friendswood Funtime Band
• The Friendswood Senior Center “Over 50 Exercise” Class
• All the wonderful people I was privileged to work with at NASA
• My many neighbors and friends in Friendswood, and most recently the great people in the Bedford Community.
• Thanks to everyone who supported Marian through her ministries of teaching, music, and dance.

Marian would also like to thank the Friendswood Senior Center for graciously allowing use of their facility for classes and practice for performances that entertained numerous venues:  >30 years of clogging, exercise classes, and music.