William "Bill" Patrick Gardner

William Patrick Gardner

9-26-1958 – 10-25-2023

There must be an easy solution, Lucy Wharton thought. Her car wouldn’t start and the steering was inexplicably locked. She remembered how to pump the gas to get the engine to turn over, but the steering wheel problem remained unsolvable. So Lucy called William (Bill) Gardner, the man she had recently met for a first date. He came to her rescue but told her not to look while he “fixed” the problem, because it was a simple thing to correct. Not only did the car start, and the steering wheel turn, the relationship between the two took off leading to their marriage on New Year’s Day in 1991. Their partnership lasted until Bill’s sudden death on Oct. 25, 2023, from heart complications. He was at home in Aumsville, Oregon when he passed away.

Bill loved helping people by fixing things—be it cars, HVAC systems, or repairs around the house. After graduating from North Platte High School, in Nebraska, he picked up work as a mechanic, then a maintenance manager. He followed his brother from Nebraska to Colorado where he met Lucy. Their daughter Jessica Dawn Gardner was born in Denver. The couple decided to move to Oregon when Jessica was 7. In Salem, he was hired by the state government as an HVAC technician, a position he held until his retirement in 2018.

Lucy and Bill enjoyed exploring the beaches of Oregon and Hawaii and watching the waves crash. He loved flying kites at the beach with his brother David. British TV shows and humor were a shared passion with daughter Jessica. He was a music aficionado. Drawing and painting were also hobbies, along with camping and biking. He had always liked the challenge of getting lost on road trips, forcing him to find new roads.

William Patrick Gardner was born September 26, 1958, to Elizabeth Drost and James Gardner. He was the fourth of their six children: Linda Gardner Malsbury (Bruce), Michael Gardner (Beverly), David Gardner (Susan), Thomas Gardner (Kristi), and Richard Gardner. Bill is preceded in death by his parents and two of his brothers, Richard, and David. He is survived by his wife and daughter, sister, and brothers Michael and Thomas.