Janet Gardiner

Janet (Patton) Gardiner of Palmetto Bay died peacefully at home on Sunday, May 20, 2018. She was 83. Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Jan earned a bachelor's degree in Chemistry at Wellesley College and a Certificate from the Radcliffe College Program in Business Administration. She moved from New England to Palmetto Bay in 1971 and embraced the year-round active lifestyle of tennis, gardening, and volunteering. Jan also worked for many years in the financial sector and pursued her certification as a financial planner. She enjoyed sailing with her husband Monte Downum and friends from the Coral Reef Yacht Club. A gifted soprano, Jan sang with the Civic Chorale of Greater Miami for nearly two decades. She shared her enthusiasm for the arts, education, and music through several organizations, including the Coral Gables Music Club, the Funding Arts Network, the Miami Wellesley Club, and the Harvard Club of Miami. Her greatest passion was opera. She was active in the Young Patronesses of the Opera, co-founded the Andiamo! group to reach new audiences, and participated in the Guild of Florida Grand Opera. She served on the board of the Friends of the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Jan was an avid supporter of the ZOO Miami Foundation and the Villagers. In recent years, she and Monte traveled extensively, exploring landscapes, wildlife, and cultures. Jan will be remembered by her family and friends for living every day to the fullest, helping others reach their potential, and bringing sunshine to everyone she met. She is survived by her husband Monte, former husband Peter Gardiner of Port St. Lucie, Florida, brother John Patton of Newburyport, Massachusetts, sister Carolyn (Patton) Detwiler of La Jolla, California, daughters Jennifer (Gardiner) Liguori of Charlotte, North Carolina, Catherine (Gardiner) Willinger of Newton, Massachusetts, and Pamela Gardiner of Woolwich, Maine; and grandchildren Elizabeth, Thomas, Stephen, Charlotte, and Emma. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Friends of Collegiate Music, Inc., c/o Suzanne Floyd, 10340 SW 120th Street, Miami, FL 33176. Interment will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut. A memorial concert in Coral Gables is planned for the Fall. For concert details, please email Jan's daughter Catherine at jangardinermemorial@outlook.com.