Richard Edward Gardner

Richard Edward Gardner was born on June 3, 1943, in Tyler, Texas. The names ”Richard,” meaning “powerful leader,” and “Edward,” meaning “prosperous guardian,” foreshadowed the values that made him a successful businessman, husband, father, and grandfather. Richard gave his life to Christ as a young child and attended Bethel Temple Church of God in Christ.

Even as a child, Richard was an industrious businessman and leader. He often found ingenious ways to make and double his money. Maximizing his natural gifts, in 1961, he enrolled in Prairie View A&M University, where he majored in Economics. At Prairie View, he excelled as a student leader, becoming President of the Senior Class. He was also one of the original 13 forefathers of the founders of Eta Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated at Prairie View A&M University.

Richard’s most treasured experience in college was meeting Marion Coss at freshman orientation. The two married on June 11, 1966. Immediately following their nuptials, Richard began his tour of duty in Vietnam as a First Lieutenant in the Army. Together they had two sons.

Richard’s career included 26 years of award-winning service to the Xerox Corporation as a Regional Manager for the Southwestern states. He was one of the few African Americans in corporate executive positions at the time. Skilled at understanding people and how to motivate them, Richard received numerous awards for his region’s high performance. In 1991, he was the inaugural recipient of the Motivation and Satisfaction Award for being “Best in satisfying employee needs and motivating people to achieve Xerox business priorities.”

After retiring in 2000, Richard became a realtor committed to helping people in South Dallas gain homeownership. He was a beloved mentor to many, sharing his well of wisdom with anyone who needed it. He served as a Trustee for New Hope Baptist Church in Dallas and often held money management workshops for his family. In 2015, Richard and Marion moved to Virginia to be closer to their children and grandchildren. He excelled as a father and doting grandfather, always willing to help, encourage, and share an enlightening yet funny story.

Richard has now joined his parents, Richard and Lugean Gardner; his brother, Samuel Gardner; and the beloved family and friends who preceded him. He has blazed a trail and left a tremendous legacy to his children, Richard E Gardner, MD (Shelia Gardner, Esq.) and Wendell K. Gardner, DD8 (Monica Dobson); and grandchildren, Rick Gardner, PhD, Gabrielle Gardner, Christian Gardner, Kendall Gardner, Wesley Gardner, Justin Dobson and Jason Dobson.

Visitation will be held at Laurel Land Funeral Home, 6300 South R.L., Dallas, TX 75232, US, on March 27, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A Funeral Service will be held at New Hope Baptist Church, 5002 S Central Expy, Dallas, TX 75215, US, on March 28, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Committal will be held at Laurel Land Funeral Home, 6300 South R.L., Dallas, TX 75232, US, on March 28, 2026, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm.