David George Gordon

David George Gordon
Gordon in 2014
Born(1950-04-15)April 15, 1950
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedAugust 4, 2026(2026-08-04) (aged 76)
Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
EducationNortheastern Illinois University
OccupationsNaturalist, non-fiction writer
Spouse(s)
Maureen Cleary
​
(divorced)​

Mari Mullen
​
(divorced)​

Karen Luke Fildes
​
(m. 2009)​
RelativesStuart Gordon (brother)
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (sister-in-law)

David George Gordon (April 15, 1950 – August 4, 2026), nicknamed "The Bug Chef", was an American naturalist and non-fiction writer.

Early life and career

Gordon was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 15, 1950, the son of Bernard Gordon, a cosmetics factory worker, and Rosalie Sabath, a high school English teacher and social worker. He was the brother of Stuart Gordon, a film director. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but dropped out. He moved to California, and he majored in biology at Northeastern Illinois University, graduating in 1980. During his college years, he worked as an aquarist at the Shedd Aquarium, a public aquarium in his hometown.

He began cooking insects in 1997, and he appeared in the television talk shows Nightline, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Late Late Show with James Corden and The View. In 1998, he wrote The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook, a cookbook of insect recipes. He also wrote Heaven on the Half Shell, The Sasquatch Seeker's Field Manual, and The Compleat Cockroach. The New York Times named him "a young Einstein with a bushy beard, tousled hair and round spectacles".

Personal life and death

Gordon's first two marriages, to Maureen Cleary and Mari Mullen, both ended in divorce. His third marriage, to Karen Luke Fildes, a painter, lasted from 2009 until his death. She illustrated several of his books.

Gordon died in Tacoma, Washington, on August 4, 2026, at the age of 76.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rosenwald, Michael S. (September 21, 2026). "David George Gordon, Apostle for Bugs on the Dinner Plate, Dies at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Researcher turned chef whips up insect delights for Eat-a-Bug Cookbook". New York Daily News. December 16, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2026.
  3. ↑ O'Connor, Liz (July 26, 2013). "The Author Of The 'Eat-A-Bug' Cookbook Explains How To Make Tarantulas Taste Good". Business Insider. Retrieved September 21, 2026.
  4. ↑ "David George Gordon". Gordon. Retrieved September 21, 2026.