Ray D. Gardner Esq.

Ray D. Gardner, Esq. ESCONDIDO -- Ray D. Gardner, Esq. passed away Thursday, September 30, 2010 at his home in Escondido. Ray touched many lives in his 56 years and leaves behind a rich legacy of love, friendship and personal accomplishment. Born in Los Angeles, California on July 9, 1954, Ray spent his early years in Escondido, California and graduated from Escondido High School in 1971. He would later live in Alaska, Colorado and Utah. He developed a passion for the outdoors at a young age. An avid hiker and backpacker, he felt most at home in the forests, deserts and mountains of the American West and he will be remembered for his love of the natural environment. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in history from Humboldt State University, Ray attended Hastings College of Law in San Francisco where he served as an editor of the Law Review. Ray went on to successfully practice natural resource law for thirty years. He began his career with Hartig, Rhodes, Norman and Mahoney, a major Alaska law firm, where he advanced to become a partner specializing in natural resource law. He served as Vice President of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, on the board of the Resource Development Council of Alaska, and as volunteer legal counsel for the world famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Moving back to the "lower 48", he worked for a number of major corporations including Chevron, Kennecott, Westmoreland Coal Company, and Xcel Energy, where he held such positions as Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel. As he excelled in his professional career he never lost sight of the importance of family and friends. His generosity, compassion and unwavering sense of humor left an indelible impression on all who were fortunate enough to know him. Complementing his professional success, Ray always felt a strong connection to the plight of displaced and abused children and throughout his life he championed the rights of defenseless young people as a volunteer and friend. He never shied away from helping those in need and his family and friends will never forget his limitless sense of kindness and personal dependability. In addition to enjoying the outdoors, Ray also maintained a lifelong love of music, film and literature. A fiercely intelligent man, Ray loved to debate philosophy, art and politics in the company of family and his many friends. He will always be remembered as a loving father, brother and uncle. Ray is survived by his son, John Gardner; sisters, Mary Cyr and Susan Gardner; nieces, Lauren Tarut and Windee Denholm; and nephew Darren Minser. A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church, 341 S. Kalmia, Escondido, California at 2 pm on Monday, October 18, 2010. In honor of Ray's best friend Michael Paine, Ray's family would like to encourage donations to the Elizabeth Hospice http://elizabethhospice.org. Please join us as we celebrate a beautiful life. Sign the Guest Book online obits.nctimes.com