Herschel Gordon, 82, of Abington, cellist

Herschel Gordon, 82, of Abington, a former cellist with the Philadelphia and Reading Symphony Orchestras and a businessman, died Thursday, July 1, of congestive heart failure at Abington Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Gordon was born in Philadelphia in 1927, the son of Freda and Aaron Gorodetsky, a violinist who spent 47 years with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Gordon began to study the cello at 8, said his wife of 60 years, Gloria.

A graduate of Central High School, Mr. Gordon served in the Army in France and Germany from 1945 to 1947, his wife said.

After World War II ended, Mr. Gordon was transferred to the Glenn Miller Band, stationed in Bad Schwalbach, Germany, his wife said.

Mr. Gordon then returned to Philadelphia, where he attended the Curtis Institute of Music, studying under Gregor Piatigorsky. He earned a degree in cello in 1950.

In 1948, while still attending Curtis, Mr. Gordon joined the Philadelphia Orchestra. He became the cellist for the orchestra's Stringart Quartet and earned the Hartman Kuhn Award for Excellence in Performing, his wife said.

With the quartet, Mr. Gordon toured the country and performed on radio and recordings.

Mr. Gordon left the orchestra in 1956 to pursue a career in business. After taking some college courses, he worked in electronics, becoming executive vice president of Elco Corp., his wife said. He later worked as a sales representative for several firms in the field, she said.

During this time, Mr. Gordon continued to play the cello. He joined the Reading Symphony, where he served for 30 years, including work on the board of directors.

Charles Weiser, executive director of the symphony, said Mr. Gordon was the first musician to serve on the board of directors. "He was a very good friend of the Reading Symphony Orchestra," Weiser said. "He also played with other musical groups here."

Mr. Gordon served as president of the Philadelphia Orchestra Retirees and Friends from 1997 to 2004, working on fund-raising projects to benefit the retirees.

He also taught music appreciation courses at Temple University Ambler Campus and Arcadia University.

Mr. Gordon was a member of Beth Tikvah-B'nai Jeshurun in Erdenheim, where he was president for several years.

Valarie Hurwitz, executive director of the synagogue, said Mr. Gordon "was considered a pillar of our congregation. He was totally devoted to our synagogue."

In addition to his wife, Mr. Gordon is survived by daughters Ellen Klein and Wendy; a son, David; a brother; and three grandchildren.

A funeral and burial were held Friday, July 2, at Shalom Memorial Park, Huntingdon Valley.