Gordon Cadwgan, PhD passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 81 years old surrounded by his family. Gordon served as the Chair of the Alpha-1 Foundation (A1F) Board of Directors from 2013 to 2018 and on the A1F board for a total of 14 years (2006-2020).
Dr. Cadwgan received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1967 and held a PhD in Analytical Chemistry (1975) from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts. He worked for Union Carbide in West Virginia for 5 years and DuPont for 16 years in Wilmington, Delaware.
Cadwgan’s involvement with A1F dates back to the year 2000, after he and his wife, Ruth moved from Wilmington, Delaware to West Palm Beach, Florida. That was eight years after his diagnosis as an Alpha, and four years after disability retirement from his job as a chemist at DuPont. What seemed like misfortune at the time launched a new, full chapter in the Cadwgan’s lives, as well as a hopeful future for many Alphas.
Gordon was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) at age 48 in 1992. Gordon participated in the original Alpha-1 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Study in Bethesda, Maryland under the direction of Dr. Mark Brantly. He believed this was the turning point in his Alpha-1 journey. Later that same year, they attended the first national conference in Minnesota, and that is where they really started to understand the condition and meet so many others navigating the same journey.
“We need to get up every morning and say, what can I do today to get us one step closer to the cure? We need to speak with one voice. We need to use our people wisely and efficiently,” said Cadwgan when he assumed his role as board chair in 2013.
John W. Walsh, the late A1F co-founder and president & CEO, saw Cadwgan’s scientific background as a unique qualification for his appointment to the Board of Directors. “Beyond being affected by Alpha-1, he understands the importance of scientific integrity and peer review, and that makes him especially effective in his leadership role,” Walsh said in 2010. During his tenure, Cadwgan and Walsh became friends bonded by a devastating condition and a commitment to fulfill the mission. Cadwgan served on the Development committee, the Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) Working Group, the Board of Directors of the Alpha-1 Project (TAP), and as an Alpha-1 support group leader. In 2006, he was appointed as secretary of the A1F Board of Directors and in 2013 he was appointed as Board Chair.
“Serving on the Board and working with incredible people like John W. Walsh, Fred Walsh, the ‘Coach,’ (John and Fred’s father) and the staff at A1F was an amazing and rewarding experience. Working to support research, education, and advocacy, this work became a second career with a second life. It has been incredibly rewarding.”
The Cadwgan Family has made many important contributions to A1F over the decades. As a trustee of the Board of Directors of his family’s charitable foundation, the Gordon E. & May R. Cadwgan Charitable Foundation, Gordon felt the impact of the support and investment towards a cure would help generations of Alphas to come. In 2009, Dr. Gordon and Ruth Cadwgan generously donated $1 million to A1F for The Alpha-1 Project (TAP) on behalf of his family. TAP served as the venture philanthropy arm of A1F for engaging with biotech and pharmaceutical companies, with, or those considering the development of therapies and treatments for Alpha-1. Gordon believed this impactful gift would help energize the community, and patients, academia, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, along with public health organizations, would continue the relentless pursuit of cures and therapies for lung and liver diseases caused by Alpha-1.
Together, the Cadwgan’s hosted countless A1F support group meetings in their home, served on a multitude of committees, co-chaired events and provided steady encouragement to new diagnosed patients. He and Ruth attended nearly every A1F National Conference since he was diagnosed, as well as the Foundation’s annual signature event, Celebration of Life. They were always the first to sign up for every Building Friends for a Cure event and gather friends and family to join them in increasing awareness and raising funds. Gordon represented the Alpha-1 patient voices at countless events.
“After 14 years on the Board of Directors, it has been a wonderful experience. I have witnessed enormous changes: significant growth in our basic research grants, a continued cooperative with our industry partners, the formation of the Building Friends for a Cure program to provide all Alphas with the chance to participate in fundraising, the founding of the COPD Foundation, the ongoing discussions with government agencies to advocate for a quicker response to new research and therapies for Alpha-1. Simultaneously, we have cared for our fellow Alphas helping them and their families manage their condition. We have provided education, support, and encouragement that we can live with this condition and often rise above it,” stated Gordon.
Gordon was recently featured in the Alpha-1-to-One Magazine reflecting on his Alpha-1 Journey and being diagnosed over 33 years ago. He had no idea how much the diagnosis would change, not just his life, but his life’s purpose.
Reflecting on Gordon’s legacy, Scott Santarella, A1F President & CEO, shared, “Gordon was a pillar in the Alpha-1 Community. He understood our mission and was dedicated to making a cure a reality. His commitment to the patients and to funding research was evident in his outstanding support and dedication since his diagnosis. His insight will be missed at meetings and most of all, his optimism and hope for a better future for all the Alphas”.
Jon Hagstrom, A1F Board of Directors Chair, also honored Gordon’s memory, stating, “We are saddened by the news of Gordon’s passing. He was an Alpha-1 patient that understood that each day we all have a chance to make a difference. He was a good man, outstanding philanthropist, dedicated leader and role model. Gordon will be remembered in this community forever and missed.”
Sharing her personal reflections, Dr. Jeanine D’Armiento, past Chair of the Board of Directors and A1F Medical Liaison, said, “I am personally heartbroken to hear of the passing of Gordon. From the time I entered the organization, Gordon was an inspirational presence. He was critical in getting us to advance direct therapies, and his legacy will be in the new therapies coming down the pike for patients. A big loss for the Alpha-1 community and all who knew him, he will be missed dearly.”
Angela McBride, Senior Director of Corporate Relations & Strategic Alliances, also shared, “Gordon was a dear friend, philanthropist and leader in the Alpha-1 community.” During this season of thanks, we are deeply grateful that he touched so many lives in such meaningful and lasting ways.”
Gordon is survived by his beloved wife Ruth, and close family and friends. A celebration of life is being planned for a later date. Donations can be made in memory of Dr. Gordon E. Cadgwan to the Alpha-1 Foundation.
