Willis Gardner

W. Dean Gardner, age 96, of South Salem, Ohio, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 27, 2025, with his wife Jackie holding his hand at Court House Manor in Washington Court House, Ohio.

Dean was born in Highland Twp., Iowa on January 4th, 1929 to Roy and Madge Gardner. He attended kindergarten through the eighth grade in a one room school house. He graduated from Mount Ayr High School where he was active in FFA and became the Iowa State FFA Secretary.

Farming was a big part of his life and he farmed in partnership with his father for several years.

Dean always said that 1950 was a big year for him. He felt at this point in his life "his career had been planned for me!" He bought a new John Deere tractor, found out about his draft status, enlisted in the Air Force and most importantly, married Mary Ann Pacha on July 4. They would later be blessed with two sons, Larry and Bruce.

On February 3, 1951, Dean began his service with the Air Force during the Korean War. He served in Germany and Olathe, KS before discharging on December 27, 1954.

On January 4, 1955 (his birthday) Dean started college at Iowa State University majoring in agriculture education. During the summer of 1956 and 1957, he interned with the USDA Plant Control Division. He graduated in June of 1958.

In 1958 Dean also started his career with the USDA Plant Pest Control Division "at a whopping salary of $3,600 a year!" His early career took him to Iowa, Missouri, Winter Haven Florida, and the State of Washington. In 1962, Dean requested a transfer to the USDA Plant Quarantine Division.

He received additional training in New York and then started his work with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. That work took him to Calexico, CA (1962), San Bernardino, CA (1967), San Diego, CA (1971), Los Angeles, CA (1973), and New Orleans, LA (1975). Each move brought a new title and more responsibility.

In 1977 Dean requested a transfer back to San Diego, CA due to Mary's health issues. After a long-fought and courageous battle, Mary passed away from cancer on May 16, 1983.

As Dean was looking at his last promotion and assignment, he was offered positions in Washington DC, Texas, or Honolulu, HI. During this time, he had reconnected with Jackie Richardson (the Richardson and Gardner families met during his time in San Bernardino, CA). Dean always said "when I proposed marriage to Jackie she would only say yes if I took the position in Hawaii...which I did!" Dean and Jackie were married in Honolulu on September 2, 1988.

Dean retired in November, 1990 as the USDA Assistant Regional Director, and was immediately rehired until they could find his replacement. He officially was finished in March of 1991. He said, "I have lived in 17 states during my career...and enjoyed every bit of it!"

Retirement found Dean going back to the farm...or at least as much farm as three acres in South Salem, OH can provide. His barn provided lodging for several FFA animal projects over the years along with space for his old John Deere and Ford tractors. The barnyard was also the setting for some wonderful copper kettle apple butter stirring parties. He also loved gardening and even tried growing competition large pumpkins. Of course, he was the go-to guy if anyone had any questions about "bugs!"

Dean became very involved in the community as well as the surrounding area. Some of the organizations included the Farm Bureau, 20th Century Club, and serving on the South Salem Town Council. He was also very active in Rotary achieving the Paul Harris Fellow Award.

Traveling was also on the list. Dean and Jackie not only traveled extensively on their own but also started J&D Tours to provide group travel opportunities. Together they led 36 tours taking a bus load of old and new friends to many different locations including Branson, Washington DC, Nashville, New Orleans, the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers, and even Hawaii...just to name a few.

For the last 30 years, Dean was fighting a crippling disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). It is a hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy of the peripheral nervous system characterized by progressive loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation across various parts of the body. Although the disease slowly robbed him of full use of his legs and arms, he never complained or let it stop him from getting the most out of life that he could.

Even with all the challenges that were thrown at Dean, especially toward the end of his life, Dean's faith in God never wavered. He started his faith journey when he was a young man out on a tractor in the fields of Iowa. He would talk to God for hours and knew God was there...and listening.

Throughout his life, those who had the privilege of meeting Dean Gardner found out that he was kind, compassionate, caring, faithful, loyal, loving, good, wise, patient...well, the list could go on and on. Everyone would say the same thing...and they did...my life is better and richer because I knew Dean Gardner.

Dean is survived by his wife, Jackie Warning Gardner, two sons: Larry Gardner and Bruce (Hilde) Gardner, two grandsons: Erik (Samantha) Gardner and David (Daniela) Moritz and a host of family and friends. He was preceded in death by brothers, Glenn, Gerald, Wayne and Marion.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 12 p.m. at the Greenfield Church of Christ with Danny Dodds officiating. A visitation will take place at the church beginning at 11 a.m. Everyone is encouraged to wear their favorite Hawaiian shirt or bright colors. At a later date, Dean will be laid to rest in the Bohemian Cemetery in Diagonal, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Greenfield Church of Christ, 955 W. Jefferson St., Greenfield, OH 45123, your church or favorite charity.