Ode to Joy and Joy to the World were some of Jim Gardner’s favorite songs and it was what he brought to the world, joy and fun, stories and art. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri on December 21, 1946 to Frank and Dorothy Gardner. He attended Northeast High School, Class of 1964, and also Penn Valley Community College. He served in the United States Air Force for four years attaining the rank of Sergeant. He was an avid football fan of the Patriots, K.C. Chiefs and recently the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jim moved to Maine in 1984 and worked for Shaw’s Grocery Store until he retired. He won a Shaw’s company art contest, winning a $25 gift certificate for each and all the employees in his store. He also won second prize in the State of Maine for political cartoons when he was an artist for the York County Coast Star.

Jim made friends wherever he went and kept his lifelong friends from high school. He loved “the guys” and got together with them every Christmas. The holidays will never be the same for his wife, Sandra Gardner, his sister Penni Scavo, his brother Jerry Gardner, his nine adoring nieces and nephews, and his eleven great nieces and nephews. When we sing in “rounds” or tell stories, we will think of our beloved Jim.

We would like to thank all the doctors and nurses at Dana Farber (Dr. Toni Choueiri), Maine Medical Center in Portland, Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford, New England Cancer Specialists in Scarborough, York Home Health Care (especially Margie Paige) and nurse Mary Price, and finally the exceptional people at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.

If memorial donations are in your thoughts, please consider Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, c/o Hospice of Southern Maine, 390 US Route One, Scarborough, ME 04074 or hospiceofsouthernmaine.org