John F. Gardiner

John Francis Gardiner, age 65, passed away on April 10 after a short but fierce battle with colon cancer. He was sharp and funny to the end, winking at his loved ones from his hospital bed and quipping "Damn Biden" when medical staff asked if he knew who the president was. He passed peacefully, surrounded by friends and family. John was born on August 19, 1958 in Hartford, CT. He graduated from South Catholic High School in 1976. He was not the best student, but he did excel at annoying his older sister and getting up to high jinks with friends from the neighborhood. He joined the Marine Corps in 1976, a decision he credited with giving him a sense of purpose and discipline. He served for a time in Morocco, where he worked as a unit dog handler and learned chess from a prisoner he was assigned to guard. He was fiercely proud of his military service. He simultaneously loved his country and distrusted the government. He made sure to shake hands with any fellow veterans when he was out and about, recognizing their hats and service. He never passed a homeless veteran without giving a few dollars and muttering about what the hell sense of priorities our country had anyways. John worked as a land surveyor from the late 80s until his cancer diagnosis. He loved working outside and exploring different parts of Connecticut and New England. He took a sense of pride in seeing the finished products of homes, roads, and bridges he helped lay out. He referred to Mount Rushmore as "three surveyors and that other guy." He hated civil engineers with the passion of a thousand suns. He enjoyed mentoring the next generation of surveyors and spoke affectionately of anyone under the age 40 at work as "kids." He was quietly creative, filling sketchbooks with doodles, comics, watercolors, and acrylics. His art depicted his view from the day's job site, his children growing up, his wife Holly and their adventures at renaissance fairs and beyond, random junk in the kitchen, the ups and downs of watching the Sox mess up another season. John loved music and shared this passion with all his children. He indulged listening to their new "hip" music even if it made him cock is eyebrow and go "I don't know about this." He'd give anything a try if someone he loved recommended it or asked him to. He cheered on his loved ones and their passions with an intensity that filled them with love. From suffering through long innings of terrible softball games, poetry readings, finding and sharing fossils he'd pick up at work, and just listening to anything that they were interested in with an open ear and heart. John was a supporter and he encouraged everyone to be the best that they could be. He loved the Red Sox and any sort of underdog. He preferred to listen to baseball games on the radio, leaning against the kitchen counter and holding his hand up to stop conversation when Joe Castiglione's voice went up a pitch. A perfect day for John was listening to a game, going for a motorcycle ride with his best friend and his sweetheart, popping into Caseys, the Elks Club, or Hartford Road Cafe, and finishing it all off with a beer or two of Natty Light on his back porch before watching a World War II documentary.
He is survived by his wife, Holly Zorra Gardiner (also a proud Marine), daughters (step and biological) Sarah and Lauren Gardiner, Sirena and Tabitha Ann Zorra, step-son Andrew Zorra (another proud Marine), step-grandchildren Lorenzo Chiaraluce, Juniper Bernstein, and Phineas Zorra, sister Anne Marie Gardiner Lancor, brother-in-law Steven Lancor, as well as heaps of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Alexina Gardiner and James Gardiner, who are likely both embracing and giving him an earful this very moment. He was the best and we are heartbroken.
Services will be held at Browne Memorial Chapels, Enfield on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, to include an Elks Service, Prayer Service and concluding with military honors. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Wounded Warrior Project or exercise your first amendment rights for something you believe in. Do something nice for a veteran. Be mean to a civil engineer (he'd say they're not real engineers so it's okay). Get a colonoscopy. Smile at a stranger and make their day. Take a minute to enjoy the small beauty all around us. Call your dad, husband, friend, or brother, and tell them you love them.