Gary Leon Gardner Sr

Gary Leon Gardner Sr., 82, of Lake Jackson, passed away peacefully on the morning of Nov. 6, 2020.

Visitation will be Thursday, Nov. 12, at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Lake Jackson from 6 to 8 p.m. A memorial service will be held at Chapelwood Friday at 10 a.m.

Mr. Gardner was born July 26, 1938, to Bradley and Susie Gardner in Hamilton. After graduating from Hamilton High School, he went to Lamar University to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering. While at Lamar he found and married the love of his life, Elinor Jouett Cannon.

Together they moved to Lake Jackson, where he began his career at Dow Chemical Co. in 1962. They raised five children together in Lake Jackson while he was working for Dow, where he developed several patents.

Gary and Jouett were members of Chapelwood United Methodist Church from nearly the very beginning and were active through much of their life. Gary served as the head of Buildings and Grounds several times and spent numerous evenings making repairs late into the night to ensure churchgoers could worship in comfort on Sunday morning.

Gary was an accomplished framer, woodworker, electrician, plumber and A/C man and he gave his talents and his time freely to the church and others in need. On two separate occasions he travelled as a member of Habitat for Humanity to assist a team in the building of a medical clinic in Mexico.

Gary was a Master Gardener and an award-winning home brewer. He was a proud member of the Brazoria County Master Gardeners and the Brew Bayou club in Lake Jackson. He would often bring his home-brewed beer and maybe a red snapper courtbouillon or a pot of red beans and rice to their meetings to share with friends. He approached brewing, gardening and cooking the same exacting way he would approach a chemistry problem and won awards in all of these endeavors. He was happiest when sharing his food or his brew while surrounded by family and friends. He will be dearly missed.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mrs. Jouett Gardner; his sister, Carmin Graham; his children, Gary Gardner Jr. and wife Kathy, Colleen Hicks and husband Oliver, John Gardner and wife Mary, Jack Gardner and wife Sarah and Bradley Gardner and wife Hayley; his six grandchildren Shelby, Hayden, Lara, Evan, Jill and Emerson; two great-grandchildren, Cannon and Eloise; and two nieces, Susan Graham Lamb and Catherine Graham McBrayer.