Gordon was the son of Katharine McLane Tiffany Abbott [1872-1948] and Gordon Abbott [1863-1937]. His father was a prominent financeer, whose long career included controlling positions at such companies as: Old Colony Trust Co., the Electrical Securities Corp., Provident Institution for Savings, First National Bank of Boston, and several Northeast railroad companies. He was a large contributor to charities and community organizations, especially the Children's Hospital in Boston. Gordon had two sisters: Katharine Abbott [Mrs. George L. Batchelder, d.1977], and Eleanor Abbott [Mrs. Francis B. Lothrop, b. 1904].