About Gordie

A Letter from Jack, 

Personal recollections from the night that killed Gordie Bailey

Hello All,

Thank you for visiting our webpage. GORD - Guidelines and Objectives of Responsible Drinking - is a student run non–profit 501(c)3 organization. Largely we are based out of Colorado, however, we do what we can where we can to help ensure that nobody suffers the loss of a friend or family member from alcohol poisoning.

This organization was founded in honor of a good friend of mine that passed away in 2004 due to alcohol poisoning. His name was Gordie Bailey. I had the privilege of meeting him in the CU Residence Halls the first day that freshman students were allowed to move in- we were neighbors. Sharing similar interests like lacrosse, football, and music, we became friends quickly and ultimately rushed the same fraternity, Chi Psi, at the University of Colorado. After a night of pledge events we had a party up in the mountains outside of boulder to “celebrate our pledge-ship”.

Unfortunately, our generations of students, in both high school and colleges around the country, have learned that in order to party or to celebrate one must abuse drugs and alcohol. After all, how can one “party” with out drinking? I was no exception to this attitude coming into college. So, the night Gordie died we all were up in the mountains, about 26 pledges in total, drinking from 6 handles of Ten High Whiskey, and 4 large jugs of Carlo Rossi Wine. Gordie and I went shot for shot, I threw up in about 15 minutes.  

A half an hour later, after the booze were gone on the mountain, sober brothers drove us back to the fraternity hosue where two kegs were waiting.

The party continued with relay races, but not for Gordie. Gordie filled up his beer at the house but just stood there in the corner of the room, beer in hand, not saying a word and not taking a single sip of his beer. We soon noticed how drunk Gordie was, even though his behavior was not erratic. But the normally outgoing and talkative 18 year old, was now silent. So, we put him on the couch in the library. We made sure he was on his side. We gave him water, some bread, and something to throw up in. Basically, all the things that we thought helped people that have drank to much. At the time, none of could imagined that water and food do nothing to affect a persons BAC (blood alcohol content).

Then someone brought out a couple of sharpie pens. After all, as the expression goes, if you pass out with your boots on, you get drawn on. Thinking it would be hilarious the next morning when Gordie woke up with writing all over him brothers and pledges alike took part in drawing derogatory comments and slurs on his face and body. But Gordie never woke up.

I left the fraternity house that morning at 5 am. Gordie had been on the couch since midnight, and had not had anything to drink for about 5 and a half hours (11 30 pm up on the mountain). Before I left the house I went into the library to check on Gordie. Not because I really believed that one could die from alcohol poisoning (alcohol over dose) but just to see how he was doing, if he was throwing up, or if he wanted to walk back to the dorms, I never turned on the light to the library so its hard for me to know if his skin was turning blue, and I never really touched him so I do not know if his skin was cold or clammy – little did I know at the time, but these are all big signs of alcohol poisoning. I stood over him, he was on his side, on the couch. I heard him breathing, slow, long, shallow breathes, and decided that I would catch up with him the next day and walk back to our dorm myself.

11:15 the next morning...

A good friend of ours walked into my room and asked me, “Are you ready to wake up”. Such a strange question I remember thinking. What does he mean, am I ready? 

He told me Gordie died last night. I didn’t believe him... I jumped out of bed, opened my door and saw three police officers going through his things in his room. I couldn’t believe it, I thought, “how could he have died? I just saw him on the couch and he was fine.” At first I thought he may have been hit by a car or got in a car accident from someone giving him a ride home to the dorms that morning. Then I thought that maybe he died of a heart attack or some unknown pre-existing medical condition. Two weeks later the toxicology report came back, Gordie had died of acute alcohol poisoning or an overdose on alcohol.

That night, Gordie did not do anything besides drink. Despite rumors, Gordie did not do any cocaine, he did not smoke pot either. What he did do, is drink a lot, and drink it quickly. Myself, and others did not recognize the signs of alcohol poisoning, and we did not call 9-1-1. Gordie died face down on the floor, at 7 30 am, 8 hours after he stopped drinking the previous night, with slurs written in sharpie all over his face and body. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret not making the call to 9-1-1.

So, I helped to found GORD. So that hopefully I could help reduce or stop the wasteful loss of life to the over consumption of alcohol. I urge you all to look around this site, and contact us with any questions or for any information. And, whether you drink or abstain, are over 21 or under 21, if you are ever in a situation where you think somebody has drank way to much, call 9-1-1. Don’t let what happened to us, happen to you.

Sincerely,

Jack R. Gilles
Founding Member
Guidelines and Objectives of Responsible Drinking