Jacqueline Gardner

Jacqueline “Jackie” Gardner, 89, of Syracuse, died March 31, 2012 after a brief illness in Syracuse, New York. Jackie was born March 28, 1923 to Ethel and Jack Goldstein in Brockton, MA. She grew up in the Brockton area, and as a child, the family spent summers at Revere Beach, MA, creating a life-long love of the ocean. After the death of her father, the family sold their dry-cleaning business in Brockton. They moved to Hollywood, California -- four women, a newborn baby and a dog, driving cross-country on Route 66. Jackie was an adventurous spirit who loved to travel. She toured cross-country in her lifetime many times and traveled the world, including places like Italy, Greece and Japan, at a time when women rarely traveled by themselves. She loved people, made friends easily, and was a person of good humor, which she shared wherever she went. She worked as a waitress on Catalina Island. In the late 1950s, she moved to New York City. She worked as a waitress in New York City at the famous WALDORF-ASTORIA Hotel on Park Avenue, and met many of the celebrities of the time. She moved to Syracuse, in 1967, and was a waitress at Smorel’s Restaurant for 33 years, retiring from the work and restaurant she loved when she was 72 years of age. Her work at Smorel’s was a focus of her life, and she enjoyed all of her co-workers and guests and considered them like family. She loved animals – especially their cat, Buffy, music, travel, driving, socializing, reading, Tiger Woods, and Oprah. She is predeceased by her parents and two sisters, Estelle “Essie” Goldstein Wagner and Barbara “Bobbi” Goldstein Benedict.

She is survived by her long-time friend and housemate, Dolores Schroeder, of Syracuse; a nephew, Michael J. Wagner, and his wife, Christine, of Palo Alto, CA; a cousin, Jack Mitchell of Los Angeles, CA; brother-in-law, Theodore Benedict of Los Angeles, CA, and long-time friend, Despy Mallas of West Hollywood, CA.

Jackie’s ashes will be released to her beloved Pacific ocean off the coast of CA. There are no services.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the SPCA, 5878 E. Molloy Road, Syracuse, NY. Web site: www.cnyspca.org.

Farone Funeral Home has care of the arrangements.

Condolences may be offered at www.faroneandson.com.