Neil Gordon, 61, started the independent pharmacy chain in Donaghadee, County Down, 34 years ago, along with his brother, Robert.
By 1996 the pharmacy chain had grown to 11 pharmacies and in 2006 the business expanded into Scotland where there are now nine stores.
Today, the chain has 62 stores and employs approximately 800 people.
Neil Gordon was born on 17 October 1952 in Newry, County Down.
The son of a farmer, and one of five brothers, his interest in pharmacy was sparked at a young age.
He was educated at Newry Model Primary school and Newry Grammar school before studying pharmacy at Bradford University.
After a period of employment that included working in England, Neil established the first Gordons Chemists in Donaghadee in 1980.
He was also a co-founder of the Donaghadee Comunity Workforce, assisting the long-term unemployed back into employment, while engaging in work of community benefit.
He served as an elder at Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee and was a trustee of the Lighthouse Trust, a charity serving children with cerebral palsy.
Neil was elected to the executive committee of Belfast city centre management in 2004 and served until his death.
He was elected to the board of the PCC (Pharmaceutical Contractors Committee), the committee responsible for negotiating community pharmacy services with the Department of Health, and served for seven years.
He also served on the board of SOS Bus NI, a charity helping vulnerable people on the streets of Belfast.
In 2013, Neil was awarded a Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland.
Neil passed away on 20 June. He is survived by his mum, Jean, wife, Carol, sons, Ryan and Gareth, and daughter Fiona.

"The intelligence of her dancing burns even brighter," wrote the Guardian's Judith Mackrell in a four-star review.
"The flair and virtuosity of her dancing stops you in your tracks," agreed the Standard's Sarah Frater.
The French star is appearing in 6000 Miles Away at London's Sadler's Wells.
Running until 9 July, the evening sees her perform a duet with Nicolas Le Riche, before dancing solo in a piece choreographed by Sweden's Mats Ek.
According to the Arts desk, the result proved her to be "as swift as mercury, as exact as a feather, as light as the sun and as eternal in intelligent beauty as Nefertiti".
"This great ballerina of our era is both inexplicable and unbelievable, in physique and in temperament," continued Ismene Brown.
Formerly with the Paris Opera Ballet and the Royal Ballet in London, Guillem now devotes her energies to contemporary dance.
The title of her show refers to Japan, with proceeds from Thursday's performance going to the Japan Tsunami Appeal managed by the British Red Cross.

It is widely believed that polling day will be on Friday 26 February.
RTÉ reports that ministers had predicted that Mr Kenny would announce his intention at Tuesday's cabinet and go to the country thereafter.
Mr Kenny has decided to allow the Irish parliament another sitting day in part to allow for an orderly dissolution.
He is aiming to become the first Fine Gael leader to be returned as prime minister.
Fine Gael ministers met for two hours on Monday night to sign off on their party manifesto.
The outgoing Fine Gael and Labour coalition, which had a huge majority, is set to lose a massive number of seats.
However, it hopes to be re-elected, arguing that at a time of economic recovery - fragile though it may be - stability is better than uncertainty.
Micheál Martin's Fianna Fáil party and Gerry Adams's Sinn Féin have said the fruits of the recovery are not being evenly distributed.
The 32nd Dáil will have 158 seats, eight fewer than the previous one, and the number of constituencies has been reduced to 40 from 43.
Fianna Fáil, the party that dominated politics in the Republic of Ireland until the 2008 economic crash, has ruled out both Fine Gael and Sinn Féin as coalition partners.

Down 0-15 0-14 Derry
Armagh 2-19 0-09 Queen's
Antrim 0-09 2-20 Monaghan
St Mary's 0-13 2-13 Fermanagh
Donegal 1-06 2-14 Cavan
Tyrone 2-17 1-07 UU
A co-founder of Gordons Chemists in Northern Ireland has died.
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Sylvie Guillem's latest appearance on the London stage has been applauded by the critics, one of whom said the 46-year-old was "still one of the most astonishing dancers on stage today".
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Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny is now expected to call a general election on Wednesday.
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Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup results