Nancy Ellen Gardner

1933 - 2021

Nancy was a woman of extraordinary faith who loved fiercely and deeply the Lord, her family, church and community. While she will be missed by many, we are thankful that she is again, in the arms of her beloved husband, Albert who died in 2006.

Her passing on December 26, 2021 was unexpected, but peaceful. Nancy was born on January 29, 1933 in Clarksburg, WV to John F. Swinskie and his wife Margaret. She was the unendingly proud Mother of Lisa Gardner (Paul Harper), Denise Gardner, Karen Honecker and Mary Costa (Frank). She was an adoring "Grammy" to Luke, Lauren, Nicholas, Roxanne, Grace, Jennifer, Grant and Tyler. She was the doting "Great-Grammy" of Philip, Haleigh, Raymond, Brendan, Jordan, Eve, Ricky, Gia and Carter. She was the baby sister of Marjorie Harten. In addition to her parents and her husband, Nancy was preceded in death by her grandsons Jason (Carrie) and Jed.

As a homemaker, Nancy contributed her time to a myriad of community activities. She was most proud of her participation as a Girl Scout Leader and as an active volunteer at the Roman Catholic Communities of St. Stephen Bradshaw, St. Mark Fallston and the Oakcrest Village Chapel. She enjoyed a social life which was envied by her daughters. She made everyone in her presence feel special and included. She was a connector to her cousins, inlaws, friends and welcomed many "stray" people to family gatherings. Her special talents included winning card games, flower arranging, sewing, cooking, reading, baking (think buttermilk pound cake) and shopping! She was an extraordinary caregiver, particularly for her mother and husband.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 10 a.m. at St. Mark Roman Catholic Church, 2407 Laurel Brook Road, Fallston, MD 21047. Please arrive 15 minutes in advance. The family is requiring that everyone wear a mask and social distancing protocols will be in place. If you prefer, Mass will be livestreamed at https://saintmarkfallston.org/livestream-1. The family welcomes donations to St. Mark Roman Catholic Church or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (www.michaeljfox.org)) as an expression of sympathy instead of flowers.