Meredith Ingram Gartner

Meredith Ingram Gartner died on the 19th of October 2012 in Houston, Texas. She was 71. Meredith was born in Houston on the 15th of May 1941, the only child of Ernest Willie and Mary Doll Oldham Ingram. She graduated from Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in 1959 and obtained a degree in English from Rice University in 1963. She married Donald H. Gartner, Jr. in 1964, and they had two daughters, Kelly and Susan. Before having children, Meredith taught first grade at Rummel Creek Elementary; later, she taught third grade at Briargrove Elementary, retiring in 2001.

Meredith loved and cared deeply about her family and friends. She was a grammar advisor, consummate list-maker, and champion shopper. She delighted in finding just the right gift for a new baby or a friend’s birthday. Meredith instilled an ardor for reading and learning in her daughters, who promise to continue her legacy with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed traveling, cherishing recent trips to Paris and Hawaii. An elder at St. Philip Presbyterian Church, Meredith volunteered with Kids’ Meals and coordinated the annual Christmas gift drive for low-income families.

Preceded in death by her parents and husband, Meredith is survived by her daughter, Kelly Gartner of Houston; and her daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Pete Leonardson and their children, Anna Jane and Luke of Seattle. Her little dog, Coco, was her devoted companion.

We adored our mother. She was thoughtful, generous, courageous, and resilient. She was a two-time cancer survivor before succumbing to peritoneal cancer after a three-year battle. Mom participated in a research study at MD Anderson; we knew her disease was incurable, but the study drug and Mom’s determination enabled her to live almost three years after her diagnosis, granting her precious time with her grandchildren. We are indebted to all the doctors, nurses, and staff at MD Anderson, particularly to Dr. Jennifer Wheler and Forlisa Nauling, RN, in the Clinical Center for Targeted Therapy and to the Palliative Care team for their commitment to finding new ways to treat difficult cancers and to manage the symptoms of treatment. Houston Hospice was invaluable during Mom’s last days. So many friends and family members sustained our mom and us during her illness, but we are especially grateful to Susan Gartner, Jane Lee, Ariel Washington, and Margie Johnson.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six until eight o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 22nd of October, in the Drawing Room at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

The memorial service will be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 23rd of October, at St. Philip Presbyterian Church, 4807 San Felipe Road in Houston, where the Rev. Dr. John W. Wurster is to officiate.

Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests that memorial donations may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX, 77210-4486 or www.mdanderson.org/gifts.