Photo courtesy of Jagers and Sons Funeral Home
Aug 19, 1997 - Dec 5, 2025
Todd and Tammy, I am so sorry. I am so sad to hear of Katie’s passing. I don’t know she was so sick.
Jean Mikhail
December 09, 2025 | Athens, OH | Friend
Tammy, I was so sorry to hear of your loss. What a remarkable young lady she must have been! May God comfort you, your husband, and all that loved her.
Bevera Bobo
December 09, 2025 | Millfield, OH
Tammy, I am so sorry to learn of Katie’s passing. Prayers for you and Todd.
Dona Collins
December 09, 2025 | Athens, OH | Family
Katie - a beautiful young woman inside & out. We were so fortunate to get to know Katie through our Caden. Many fond memories of our dinners together & game nights. We will miss her very much. Remembered with love - Kim & Craig
Kim Knapp-Browne
December 09, 2025 | Athens | Friend
We were blessed to know and love Katie through our son Jonathan, and was fortunate enough to have her join us in our trip to Alaska. We were instantly taken with her; her intellect, talent, kindness and lust for life. She brought light to everyone she touched, a remarkable young woman whose life was cut short in the prime of her youth. We have no words to express how she will be missed, but her memory will live on in our hearts for the rest of our years. The measure of our years is not...
Howard & Angela Fox
December 09, 2025 | Staten Island, NY | Friend
Tammy, I am so profoundly sorry for your loss. Be assured of my love and prayers..
Fran Lavelle
December 08, 2025 | Starkville, MS | Friend
I met Katie at the Big Sky Film Fest in Missoula, MT where we chatted over coffee and she agreed to intern at the Getting Better Foundation I manage. Katie's spirit, her creativity and graphic designs live on in our work building trust, hope, and resilience through media literacy education!
Rosemary Smith
December 08, 2025 | Livingston, MT | Coworker
I only knew Katie through her parents, Todd & Tammy. What a wonderful young woman who embodied a quiet, friendly spirit along with an activist's passion to change the world for the better. I wish I could have gone hiking with her. Thank you Katie, for inspiring me to keep pushing for a better world, especially when the world resists.
Steven Saines
December 08, 2025 | Logan, OH | Friend
Katie was an amazing friend and a citizen of the world who enjoyed the little things in life. I will always remember our memories together - the hikes, the Mario Party competitions, and the daily dog or park-related messages we sent each other on Instagram. While we were only friends for ~5 years, I'm so happy that I got to know the amazing person she was.
While you physically may be gone, your soul will always live on
Kevin Shedlick
December 08, 2025 | Alexandria, VA | Friend
With her loving parents by her side, Kathryn “Katie” Soraya Gardner died on December 5, 2025, at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Katie was born on August 19, 1997, in Lancaster, Ohio, the daughter of Tamara “Tammy” (Brown) June Gardner and Todd Lee Gardner.
Katie is survived by her parents Todd and Tammy Gardner of Athens, Ohio, her grandma, Karen Gardner of Albany, Ohio and her uncles Tim Brown of The Plains, Ohio, David (Susan) Brown of Kensington, Maryland, and Larry Cooper of Athens, Ohio, cousins Stacey and her daughters Emma and Jocylen Gavrell of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Todd Cooper of The Plains, Ohio, Bryan (April) Cooper and their daughters Ashley Cooper and Bryanna (Logan) Ward of Athens and McArthur, Ohio. She also had many special friends Alexandra “Alex”, Hannah, Caden, Kevin, Blue, Dana Dugen, Dana Geffner, Ali Rockwell, “big sister” Annah (Jim) and their son Isidoro and love of her life Jon Fox.
She is preceded in death by her grandma “granny” Betty Brown, grandpas Sam Brown and David Gardner and her aunt Bonnie “Nana” Cooper.
Katie graduated summa cum laude from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University with a bachelor ‘s degree in Globalization and Development. She then continued her studies there to earn a master's degree in Communication and Development.
Katie’s ceaseless curiosity made her interested in other cultures. She explored those interests in Colombia, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and India. She also went to 48 of the 50 United States with the plan to finally visit Louisiana and North Dakota.
Katie enjoyed the small, subtle joys of life. Whether it was a long walk with her dog Maisy, lunch with a close friend, or a good book on her front porch. She appreciated everyday rituals and routines. She was also a brilliant artist. Drawing, pottery, painting, and graphic design were some of her many talents. She used them to capture the spirit of the people and places she loved.
Katie worked as Assistant Audience Engagement Editor at the Food & Environment Reporting Network. Prior to that, she served as the Communication Manager for the Fair World Project. In her own words she was a “creative storyteller propelled by a passion for people and planet.” Her Christian faith, graduate studies, and professional endeavors led her into global social justice issues. She did fieldwork in sustainable agricultural development in Latin America and the Caribbean, researched land rights and community development in East Africa as a published author, empowered human rights activists in South Asia, and documented stories of women defending the environment in Appalachia. She had a deep belief in the power of stories to connect humanity and create social change.
Katie’s generosity as a friend and an active member of her community leaves a hole in many hearts. Locally she volunteered with Good Works and the Alexander Inclusive Playground Project. She served as a caregiver for several children, including those with disabilities. She regularly attended Central Avenue United Methodist Church where she joyfully cared for children in the nursery.
Katie will be missed by all the friends and family she touched during her short but beautiful life. Her big smile put even the most anxious person at ease. She will be remembered for her kindness and generosity but also the strength, resiliency, and grace with which she faced her terminal cancer.
Calling hours will be held Wednesday, December 10 from 5-7 pm at Jagers & Sons Funeral Home, 24 Morris Avenue, Athens, OH. The memorial service will take place at Central Avenue United Methodist Church, 73 Central Avenue, Athens, OH on Thursday, December 11 at 1 pm and will be followed by a processional to the New Marshfield cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of these organizations in Katie’s memory.
Plant With Purpose
5075 Shoreham Place
San Diego, CA 92122
https://plantwithpurpose.org
World Central Kitchen
https://wck.org
Friends of the Shelter Dogs
PO Box 576
Athens, OH 45701
Please share a memory, a note of condolence, or sign the online register at www.jagersfuneralhome.com.
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