Queen Anne Baptist Church was full on Saturday, Feb. 5. Friends and family members gathered in wooden pews to say their last goodbyes to Robert Allen Gardner, a Queen Anne resident and renowned community member, husband, father and friend to many.
"He never talked about what religion he was," said Eric Vogt, a professor at Seattle Pacific University. "He lived it."
Robert A. Gardner, known as Bob by friends and family, passed away at his home on Sunday, Jan. 30. He was 85 years old. His wife Aline, daughter Sue Gardner Lucier and son Greg survive him.
"We are deeply honored and delightfully surprised," said Sue, commenting on the hundreds of people who came to pay their respects. "I am really amazed at all of the facets of his friendships. How wide and varied they were."
Bob Gardner's friends mirrored the wide and varied life he lived.
A native of Parkdale, Ark., Bob was born Oct. 11, 1919, along with identical twin brother Ralph. They would take turns being popular; in high school, Ralph was voted Most Handsome Boy their sophomore year, and Bob took the honor his junior year.
In his eulogy at the memorial service, Bob's younger brother Frank reminded friends and family that Bob would have liked to be remembered not only as a gentleman but also as a gentle man.
Bob's smooth Arkansas accent - in the manner made famous by President Bill Clinton - and kind words brought manners and a bit of Southern charm to the Northwest.
"When he said a prayer to open or close the lodge, one felt his intimacy with God," said Vogt, the current Worshipful Master for Queen Anne Masonic Lodge.
Bob, remembered by his son Greg as a small-town boy with a strong moral code and an impeccable sense of integrity, was an active Mason and served as Worshipful Master for the lodge in an earlier time.
He was also a veteran of World War II, in which he was directly involved in ground combat against the Japanese army on the islands of Saipan, Okinawa and Iwo Jima. While stationed in Seattle, prior to serving on Saipan, Robert met Aline Fabbio, the beautiful Italian he would marry four years later. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary two weeks before Bob passed away.
The couple raised two children on top of Queen Anne and knew most of the community on the Hill. While Bob touched lives as a banker, his wife Aline worked at the S&M Market, now replaced by Ravenna Gardens.
"I was a young police officer," said Tom Sacco during the memorial service reception. "I just transferred to Queen Anne Hill, and I met Aline at the old S&M Market. The Gardeners adopted my wife and me."
Bob started his banking career in 1945 at Seattle First Bank and ended his career with Rainier Bank in 1984. During Greg's eulogy to his father, he shared the story when, in 1978, Rainier Bank - in an attempt to downsize - handed Bob a pink slip and told him that he was not needed anymore. After 25 years of loyal service the company was letting him go.
Bob left the bank, whereupon customers were so outraged that they demanded he be rehired. Many declared that if he was not rehired, they would take their business elsewhere. The bank politely asked him to return, and Bob politely accepted.
Greg remembered his dad as the "real deal." "He was as genuine as you can get," said Greg. "The only thing that my dad ever assumed was that everyone else was as nice as he was and deserved to be treated like a neighbor down the block in Parkdale."
Bob was an athlete. In high school he played for his Parkdale basketball team. At age 20 he was on a professional minor-league baseball team as a first-string pitcher. During his younger years he climbed seven different mountains, including Mount Rainier.
Not much changed as he aged. As a senior he participated in local triathlon contests, winning bronze, silver and gold medals, and at 63 he summited Mount Rainier. He was also a regular participant in the Crown of Queen Anne Fun Run.
"I always remember my dad as a true gentleman with a winning smile and a welcoming attitude," said Sue. "Today, I am feeling really honored to be his daughter."
During the memorial many rose to share the fond memories they had of Bob. There was a central theme of kindness and integrity. Bob was an honorable man who was blessed with a wonderful wife, two children and friends around every corner.
"I feel honored that my old friends still feel close enough to my dad that they would come," Greg said.
"We just miss him so much," Aline concluded.
Ritzy Ryciak is a freelance writer and critic living in Queen Anne. You can write her at rtjameson@nwlink.com or mageditor@nwlink.com.[[In-content Ad]]
