Dr. J. H Gardner

1928 - 2021

Dr. J H Gardner

1928-2021

BUFFALO-Dr. J H Gardner, 92, Buffalo, died peacefully at his beloved home overlooking the great Mississippi River in the early hours of October 12th, 2021.

J was born in Corydon, Iowa to Pauline Baldwin Gardner and William Gardner (there is a long family story about why his first name is just the letter J and middle name is just the letter H). His family moved to Des Moines where he attended Roosevelt High School. J enlisted in the United States Marine Corp from 1946-1948, and rose to the rank of sergeant. On returning to Des Moines J attended Drake University where he explored his love of science. At Drake he was Phi Beta Kappa. Drake told the Marine Corp J had the second highest scholastic record at the University, even with his exceptionally rigorous coursework. After Drake, J was a teaching assistant in the graduate Zoology program at UCLA. He went on to attend medical school at University of Iowa, where he received the very first Bierring award in bacteriology and a Pfizer scholarship. With his medical degree, he became an intern at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene, Oregon and from there joined a general practice in Myrtle Point, Oregon.

In 1964, J was awarded an NIH fellowship to attend one of the first bio-medical engineering programs in the country at Drexel Institute of Technology where he received his Master of Science in bio-medical engineering. J returned to Iowa as the medical director at Woodward State Hospital and then the ISU Student Health Service from 1968-1974, becoming the director there in 1972. At Iowa State, he enjoyed meeting all the young students and being the athletic team physician. J worked in the Emergency rooms at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines, Trinity Regional, Fort Dodge, St. Luke's and Mercy Hospitals, Davenport, and Moline Public and Moline Lutheran Hospitals in the Quad Cities. In 1980 he opened his family practice clinic in Coal Valley, Illinois, from which he eventually "retired" in 1998. After his retirement he worked for the Indian Health Service and filled in for physicians in the Australian outback. J also worked for Trinity Work Fitness Center and was the Medical Director for the Wellness Center at the Isle of Capri. After his third "retirement" he volunteered as a staff physician at the Good Samaritan Free Clinic. J went on numerous medical missions to Haiti, Tanzania, Dominican Republic, China and for a number of years, to Belize. He was awarded his Rotary Club's Rotarian of the Year in 1991. J was a mentor to many people. He had a great depth of knowledge of many subjects, but especially all things medical.

Although he spent his professional career in science, he was an avid reader, great story teller and writer. J loved to sing and dance, feed and watch the birds, lunch with the Good Old Boys and exercise with his crew at the Y. He had an innate sense of fairness and was an advocate for reproductive choice and for the powerless. J was a proud liberal and Bernie supporter, although he was happy to have friends of different political viewpoints. He married the love of his life, Kay Gardner in 1980. They traveled and planted thousands of flower bulbs together.

Survivors include his daughter Sarah Gardner (Tom Frolick), stepdaughter Khristine Rogers (Brent), stepsons Peter Svebakken and Hans Svebakken (Mary Jane), grandsons Gavin Gardner Marlow, Isaac Svebakken and Elias Svebakken, granddaughters Rivkah Gardner-Frolick and Annabeth Svebakken, and sister Martha Griffin. He was preceded in death by his wife Kay Gardner, daughter Anna Gardner, son Hugh Gardner, brother William Gardner and sister Mary Crowley.

We are planning a celebration of life at a later date when we can all be together.

If you wish to give a memorial contribution, please consider the following organizations: Kay Gardner Memorial Foundation Fund at the Quad Cities Community Foundation, YMCA of Davenport, Planned Parenthood.