Michael Robert Gardner

1942 - 2025

1942-2025

Michael "Mickey" Robert Gardner, 82, of Boulder, Colorado passed away peacefully on February 18, 2025 in his home surrounded by his loving Colorado family. Mickey was born on November 19, 1942 to Joseph T. Gardner and Elva Flynn Gardner. Mickey arrived while his mother was visiting family in Philadelphia during one of his father's 41 Naval Atlantic crossings amid World War II. Although born in Philadelphia, Mickey's beloved hometown was Washington, DC.

D.C. was a place of great fun and joy during his happy childhood exploring the streets of Chevy Chase. Mickey always had an easy smile, a hearty laugh, and never knew a stranger, characteristics that were his lifelong signature. Crowned the King of Sprinkler Lane at age 5, the Chevy Chase Playground retired the crown with Mickey as its final king.

A graduate of Gonzaga College High School, the College of Arts and Sciences at Georgetown University, and later Georgetown Law School, Mickey grew up surrounded by the inspiration and dedication of Jesuits. Along with his parents, the Jesuits helped instill in Mickey a sense of kindness, generosity, and a lifelong interest in educating, teaching and helping others – traits that shaped how Mickey lived his extraordinary life.

As a teen, Mickey developed a love for horses and riding. This passion inspired a deep respect for all creatures and a strong sense of discipline. Mickey had a natural gift for riding, which, during his undergrad years, he shared as a riding instructor at Camp Olympia in Olney, Maryland, and later, as a riding instructor to the Shriver children at Timberlawn. In 1960, Mickey helped organize the inaugural Shriver Horse Show competition, which through Eunice Kennedy Shriver's and Mickey's vision and good work, became the foundation for the first Special Olympics in 1968.

After graduating from the College at Georgetown in 1964, Mickey worked in the public policy and national political affairs arena, later serving as executive director of the Democrats for Nixon campaign. Mickey also served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve from 1964-70. He attended Georgetown Law School at night, graduating early while working full-time and helping to raise his young family. Upon graduating from Georgetown Law in 1977 and his admission to the D.C. Bar, Mickey was immediately elected to the partnership of Bracewell & Patterson, an unheard-of feat for a new lawyer. Mickey also served as general counsel for the Connolly for President Committee. In 1980-81, Mickey served as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Transition Team for President-elect Ronald Reagan. In 1982, President Reagan named Mickey as the U.S. Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the United Nations International Telecommunication Union Treaty Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. During his time in Kenya, Mickey realized the need for greater communications training in developing countries, and thus his dream of starting a non-profit was born. In 1982, Mickey founded the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), which has transformed the world through tuition-free training for the women and men who design, regulate, secure and oversee the communications sectors of their home countries.

Mickey practiced communications policy and law before the FCC, the U.S. Congress, and the Executive Branch of the federal government, while leading the USTTI as its pro bono Chairman for over four decades, and then later as Chairman Emeritus. To date, the USTTI boasts nearly eleven thousand graduates from 177 countries. Mickey is known around the world by leaders in the international communications arena as "Mr. Ambassador," and is beloved by those who have completed USTTI programs. Mickey prioritized women's participation in leadership roles, frequently hosting women-specific conferences, bringing women in telecommunications from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to Washington, DC.

Mickey also served on numerous boards and committees, including the National Home Library Foundation of Washington, DC, the U.S. State Department Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, the Board of Trustees of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Chairman of the Dean's Board of Advisors of the College of Arts and Sciences of Georgetown University, the Advisory Board of UCLA's School of Public Health, the Board of Trustees of the George F. Baker Scholars Program at Georgetown University, Christmas in April USA, Loyola University, Baltimore and the Federal Communications Commission Advisory Committee of Alternative Financing for Minority Opportunities.

In addition to his board work, Mickey was honored to serve on multiple Presidential Commissions. Under President Reagan, he served on the International Cultural and Trade Center Commission, the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, and the Administrative Conference of the United States. Under Presidents Nixon and Ford, he served on the President's Committee on Mental Retardation, now known as the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

Mickey was a Special Projects Consultant to the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation and a member of the Television Telecommunications Advisory Committee at the United States Information Agency. Mickey was a 47-year member of the Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington and an adjunct professor at Georgetown, teaching the Modern American Presidency.

Mickey's passion for teaching became a passion for writing, and his acclaimed book, Harry Truman and Civil Rights: Moral Courage and Political Risks was awarded the Henry Adams Prize by the Society for History in the Federal Government. Mickey also lectured at numerous colleges, including NYU, Harvard, Hofstra, George Washington University, Villanova, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Washington University and Witts University in South Africa. Mickey wrote and published a second book, The King of Sprinkler Lane – A Charmed Life, filled with colorful stories of his life and dedicated to his grandchildren.

Of all his accomplishments in life, Mickey considered his greatest success to have married Theresa Marie Lennon in 1968. Mickey's childhood best friend Patrick Lennon was Theresa's younger brother. Despite knowing each other since they were 12, Mickey and Theresa's friendship grew over the years with long horse riding adventures (in Maryland, The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA, and around the US), fiercely competitive tennis matches (Mickey never won a set against Theresa!) and travel around the globe. Mickey and Theresa built a family and home filled with love, laughter, and fun. A prolific storyteller, Mickey and his family hosted many a dinner where Mickey shared hilarious stories, always bringing his guests to tears of laughter.

A loyal friend and devoted family man, Mickey dedicated his life to ensuring his wife, two daughters, and three grandchildren knew love, fun, and adventure. Mickey prioritized family time, taking family trips to Bermuda, Europe, Africa, and across the US. Mickey most enjoyed being with his three grandchildren, going on nature hikes, meeting horses, and attending any sporting event he could.

In 2016, Mickey and Theresa retired to Boulder, Colorado to reside with their daughter Christine and her family. While in Boulder, Mickey continued his pro bono legal work for the Missionaries of Charities, an organization that he held dear to his heart, and remained active in his roles at the USTTI and on other boards.

Besides his loving parents, Mickey was preceded in death by his sister Sheila Gardner Mohs. Mickey is survived by his wife of 57 years Theresa Gardner, his daughters, Christine (Peter) Gould of Boulder, Colorado and Courtney (Jon) Chase of Bethesda, Maryland, and his three beloved grandchildren, Gardner and Bennett Gould and Mackey Chase, as well as many nieces and nephews, and many dozens of friends.

A mass in Mickey's honor will be held on February 28 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 898 14th Street, Boulder, CO with a luncheon to follow at the Boulder Country Club.

For those who wish to express sympathy, in lieu of flowers, please consider contributing in Mickey's memory to the USTTI, the Joseph T. Gardner Scholarship Fund of Georgetown University or the Ambassador Mickey Gardner International Scholars Support Fund at the Silicon Flatirons Center of the University of Colorado Law School.