Charles Joseph Gardner

Born Charles Joseph Gardner in Bryan Texas, January 22nd, 1932, Charles and Lottie Gardner. He was also known as Charlie and Charlie Joe, but never Chuck. Charlie grew up in Bryan, where he enjoyed hunting and fishing. After attending Allen Academy, he served in the US Army in Korea from 1951-1954, where he was a munitions specialist, and an airplane mechanic/machinist.

After his return home, and at some point, he went into Parker Astin Hardware on Main Street where he met the love of his life, Miss Minnie Elliott, and they were married on April 27th, 1957.

Shortly after returning To Bryan from his deployment, he and Minnie moved to San Antonio, where he worked as an airplane mechanic/machinist at both Kelly and Brooks Airforce bases; he also worked as a firefighter. In October 1961, Rose Marie joined the family.

In May 1962 Charlie Received a phone call from a friend who was looking for sheet metal fabricators to work at The Manned Space Center. Feb 17th, 1963, started his lengthy career at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

Charlie worked on everything from prototypes for the first US spaceships, starting with Project Mercury, through International Space Station flights. This included the implementation of Lunar Tools and The Lunar Buggy, through STS 69. As the Space Race took off, Charlie continued to fabricate components for Nasa and The Manned Flight Program.

Charlie Retired from Nasa in 1986 and went to work for Space Industries Incorporated where he used his “Tin Bending” expertise to fabricate the Wake Shield Test Facility. This took he and Minnie to Merritt Island, Florida, where his work continued at Kennedy Space Center.

He and Minnie returned in April of 2004, to his home place where they continued with activities of managing a small ranch. They enjoyed getting back into the community of Bryan and reconnecting with friends and family.

He was always looking to build something better, and his mind never slowed down. Charlie never did anything small, if you thought you were going to need help; he already had the drawings overengineered. He had a sense of adventure, enjoyed traveling, and had a great love of fishing and hunting. He has fished from Galveston to the Atlantic and has hunted from Bryan to Senora. Where he’s spent Approximately 53 years hunting on the C Young Ranch in Fredericksburg Texas. He loved meeting new people and could strike up a conversation with anyone. Spending time with his family and friends is what made him the happiest. He Loved to cook and enjoyed mimicking restaurant recipes at home. He was a member of the American Legion post 159, and the Knights of Columbus, and Brazos Valley Czech Society.

Charlie was preceded in death by the love of his life, Minnie Elliott Gardner, who passed away April 30th, 2015.

Charlie is survived by his daughter, Rose Marie Gardner.

Charlie Has done it all from working a cotton gin to helping men and women orbit the earth as depicted in NASA’s One Man’s Lifetime. He will be greatly missed by all of those who were blessed to know him.