Necrology
Because Hamilton Remembers
Donald Douglas Gardner '48
Apr. 19, 1925-Jul. 15, 2003
Donald Douglas Gardner ’48, an Episcopal priest who remained engaged in his ministry for more than 45 years, was born on April 19, 1925, in Bayonne, NJ. His parents were Marshall Blair Gardner, an accountant, and the former Agnes M. Heinbokel. Don Gardner entered Columbia University following his graduation from Bayonne Senior High School in 1941. However, in 1943, during World War II, he was called to military service. He remained in the U.S. Army until 1946 when he was discharged as a sergeant. That year, he came to College Hill for the summer session. He stayed on through the summer of 1947, sufficient to complete Hamilton’s residency requirement, and was awarded his diploma in 1948.
Donald Gardner, who had concentrated in economics on the Hill, began his working life as a salesman for the U.S. Rubber Co. in New York City. But, by 1951, he felt drawn to a religious calling and responded by entering the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. After acquiring his B.D. degree in 1954, he undertook his first ministry as rector of the Church of the Mediator in Edgewater, NJ. Called in 1956 to St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion, MA, he remained as its rector until 1967. He subsequently ministered at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Reading, MA (1967-71) and Trinity Church in Stamford, CT (1971-80).
In 1987, after seven years as director of the Holton Home for the Aging in Brattleboro, VT, Donald Gardner moved to Florida and tried retirement. But the following year, having “failed Retirement 101 miserably,” he became associate rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda. Despite a kidney transplant, he continued actively involved with the Church for more than a decade thereafter.
The Rev. Donald D. Gardner was still residing in Punta Gorda when he died on July 15, 2003, following a long illness. He is survived by his wife, the former Susan G. Howard, whom he had wed on June 19, 1954, in Lincoln, MA. Also surviving are three daughters, Elizabeth, Lucia, and Sarah, as well as grandchildren.
Note: Memorial biographies published prior to 2004 will not appear on this list.
Necrology Writer and Contact:
Christopher Wilkinson '68
Email: Chris.Wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu
The Joel Bristol Associates
Hamilton has a long-standing history of benefiting from estate and life payment gifts. Thoughtful alumni, parents, and friends who remember Hamilton in their estate plans, including retirement plan beneficiary designations, or complete planned gifts are recognized and honored as Joel Bristol Associates.
