John Gardner

December 19, 1935 - June 25, 2012

SALEM - John Gardner was born December 19, 1935 in Salem, Oregon to parents Russell & Sally (Krupicka) Gardner, and passed away peacefully June 25, 2012.

He was schooled in Portland, Woodburn and finally Newport, OR where he met and married Alta Persson in 1954.

After taking engineering classes at Oregon State University he worked for the State Highway department in their engineering laboratory for several years. He then worked on the engineering staff for Georgia Pacific for 18 months commuting to Toledo, OR. After being asked to transfer to Brazil, he left Georgia Pacific and went to work for Houck’s Fabrication Inc. for two years. After several jobs in the engineering field, he decided to try something different. He spent several weeks in intense training on the East Coast and went into the insurance business and continued that for 20+ years in a partnership agency known as Updegraff-Gardner Insurance. He sold his agency to what is now Premier Insurance and worked five years for them.

John then purchased Pummel Truck Supply in the late 1980s and ran the company until his retirement in 1998.

John was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Shriners and the South Salem Seniors.

He was predeceased by his father, Russell Gardner. He is survived by wife, Alta; children John (Christine) Gardner and Marci (Jack) Taylor; grandchildren Zack Taylor, Ros and Dave McFarland; great-granddaughters Lilly and Gwen McFarland; mother Sally Reynolds and brother Don (Arta) Gardner.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, June 30, 2 pm at Howell-Edwards-Doerksen Funeral Home. Memories and condolences at www.HED-FH.com.

Burial arrangements under the direction of Belcrest Memorial Park.