Bob Gardner (“Pop”) passed away at home in Katama on March 31, after a brief illness. Although he was frustrated at the physical limitations of his aging body over the past decade, he was proud to be 93 years old, or as he put it, in his “94th year,” and the longest-lived member of his original West Roxbury family.
Bob grew up in the Boston area, the youngest son of Charles and Mary (Ryan) Gardner. No one knows why, but his maternal grandparents at some point vacated Boston and purchased a home in Oak Bluffs, near the Ocean View. As much as he loved the culture, education, and athletic opportunities that Boston provided, Bob’s best memories were of the early summer, when he and his parents would relocate to Martha’s Vineyard for the season. He loved the Island from boyhood. He spent the day diving at the town pier with Ara Barmakian and Raymond Scott, and worked setting pins at the bowling alley at night.
Bob met and married island native Buzzy (Ida Goodwin), and they lived in Boston for a decade. Children Bob, Pam, and Gail all began their lives in “the city,” but the Island was beckoning. The family returned to M.V. and the elder Bob built the Katama ranch that would be the family home for 50-plus years. He worked for several Island builders before going out on his own in the 1970s. He did what he loved to do each day, and lived in the place he considered paradise. He could proudly identify hundreds of buildings on the Island that he personally constructed or contributed to over his career. He was particularly proud of the fact that his houses were well-made and fairly priced.
Without question, Pop’s greatest joy was raising his kids on the Island he loved. He attended every game, concert, and horse show without complaint. In the summers, he could often be found with his kids at “the raft,” diving off the Big Bridge or Oak Bluffs pier, riding bikes to the Paper Store for penny candy, shagging fly balls, and at band concerts with snacks from Darlings Popcorn. Winters meant tobogganing and pond skating. He was part of the original crew of hockey players to build a small rink on the Island for pickup games.
In 1985, he joined the Edgartown Golf Club “Night Crawlers,” and began a 25-year love affair with the game. He built his own clubs as a hobby, and though he was at one time a full member of the club, he preferred his fellow Night Crawlers, and had a tight-knit group of similar enthusiasts, Ted Morgan, Dick McCarron, Marty Mard, and Sherm Burnham, who loved to get out there, encourage and rib each other, and solidify their tremendous, lifelong friendships. Bob was the last of the Night Crawlers, and missed them all terribly as each passed on. He would leave golf balls with their initials at their gravesites in tribute to those wonderful outings.
Buzzy predeceased him in 2004, but he is survived by son Bob and his partner Meg Archer in Ohio, and daughters Pam and her husband Phil Fleisher of Beverly, and Gail and her husband Don Casey of M.V. Also left to fondly remember him are grandchildren Abby and Gwen Gardner, Evie Fleisher, Riley and Amelia Craig, and Kiana Casey. He leaves behind a large and loving group of nieces and nephews, their children, and their children’s children, all of who kept in touch with him regularly and appreciated his status as the family elder.
Bob loved music, so family members will always associate him with big band music, swing tunes, and the timeless classics of Jerry Vale and Frank Sinatra. He was an Island institution regularly seen at Reliable Market, Your Market, Katama Airport, and the Katama boat landing. When walking became difficult, he found he could exercise pain-free while out on his bicycle, so he was a regular fixture on the bike paths of Katama. He was immensely proud of the years in which he was able to clock an impressive 3,000 miles on his bicycle. When he finally stopped biking at 91 years old, he had ridden well over 20,000 miles. He loved his independence, and seeing acquaintances as he played his lotto numbers or picked up groceries. His family is very grateful to everyone who cared for him recently, particularly his devoted doctors, Dr. Gerald Yukevich and Dr. Michael Michotek.
At Bob’s request, a formal service will not be held. Arrangements are under the care of Chapman Funerals and Cremations; please visit chapmanfuneral.com for online guestbook and more information. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Sandy Paws Rescue, P.O. Box 1772, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, or online at sandypawsmv.com/donate.html.
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