Edward "Eddie" Lee Gardner

Eddie was born on June 28, 1943, in Dranesville, Virginia, to the late Charles Gardner, Jr., and the late Helen Farr. He was preceded in death by siblings, Sidney Gardner, Karl Gardner, and Romaine Bundy.

Eddie grew up on a farm in Ashburn, Virginia. He left school in the eighth grade to work with his Uncle Kenneth as a painter. The lack of a formal education never held him back. He learned the trade from his uncle and went on to build a very successful painting business, with hundreds of regular clients and major annual contracts with Xerox and The Madeira School, which he painted every summer for more than 60 years. Over the years, many of Loudoun County's youth spent their summers painting at Madeira alongside Eddie and his sons. He looked forward to those summers and loved having the kids work with him.

Eddie married Judy on April 25, 1975, and they shared 51 years together. They loved going to the beach, dancing, and spending Sundays with family.

For many years, Eddie coached youth soccer. His teams went undefeated several times and won local championships, and he was proud of them and talked about them for the rest of his life. He also loved weekend pickup games with the kids at the Annex field. He enjoyed being around young people and always looked forward to those unscripted games.

Eddie later took up racquetball and played several times a week with friends. He excelled at the game, competing in several state tournaments, earning a ranking in his age group, and gaining sponsorship from a national racquetball equipment and apparel company.

Through the '70s and '80s, Eddie was also known for his cars. They were always spotless and fitted custom wheels, and a few had exhaust you could hear from a mile away.

A devoted Steelers fan, Eddie counted it as a highlight to attend Terry Bradshaw's brother's wedding in Dallas, where he met Terry Bradshaw himself.

Above all, Eddie was known for his quick wit. He had thousands of jokes memorized and was always ready to tell you one.

Eddie is survived by his wife of 51 years, Judy Gardner, of Bonita Springs, FL; his stepson Trey Fields and his wife, Mery Anne, of Estero, FL; his stepson Troy Fields and his wife, Michelle, of Leesburg, VA; his son, Kevin Gardner, of Front Royal, VA; his daughter, Shannon Lau, and her husband, Kenny, of Winchester, VA; his sisters, Carolyn Gough and her husband, Steve, of Midland, VA, and Cynthia Fincham and her husband, Michael, of Culpeper, VA; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life gathering will be held at a later date.