Robert Meade Gardner

Bob was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, and graduated from Newark (Ohio) High School where he was captain of the football team and president of his senior class. At 18 years of age, he joined the U.S. Navy and served in the South Pacific Theater on the USS Storm King, a troop transport bringing troops back from WWII. He then entered Ohio Wesleyan University where he joined Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and was named "All-American" in football and track. It was there he met, and accomplished his biggest reward. He found, Ruthie Sieker, and following their graduation, they spent the next 62 years together, raising their four children, Leslie, Bob Jr., Steve, and Lorianne in Upper Arlington. At 25 years of age, his father, "Dee," died suddenly and Bob took over "The Gardner Company", general building contractors. It was then that his brother, John, joined him and they proceeded to build "hundreds" of buildings in central and southern Ohio. Bob served on the boards of The Athletic Club of Columbus, The Builders Exchange, The Associated General Contractors (AGC), The Jazz Arts Group, First Community Church, First Community Village, and the Ohio Wesleyan University Athletic Board. He served on the board and played tennis at Scioto Country Club and Northam Park in Upper Arlington. He offered his services at The Vision Center of Central Ohio, The Columbus Building Code Commission and was a "Vice Chair" on the United Way Board. He was also a member of the World Presidents Organization (WPO). In 2019, his general contracting firm was recognized by the Builders Exchange of Central Ohio as one of the "Ten (10) Contractors that Built Columbus." He was President of the Greater Columbus Tennis Association and was a certified chair umpire. During his summer vacation from college, he worked as "a paid-up member" of the Bricklayers Union on his father's construction sites. In 1966, he was inducted into the Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1985, he was named a "Distinguished Fiji" by his fraternity. But it was Ruthie that took him on exotic trips, built the house on the Scioto River and introduced him to all those interesting people wherever they went. He is preceded in death by Ruthie and Leslie. He is survived by Bob Jr. (Sherry), Steve (Becky), Lori (David Loveless), seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. As one of his friends said, "You were a very lucky man!" A memorial service for Bob will be held 10 am, Saturday October 9, 2021, at First Community Church, 1320 Cambridge Blvd. Family has entrusted SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST with arrangements.