Ronald "Gene" Eugene Gardner

Ronald Eugene “Gene” Gardner, 98, died May 30, 2025, in Ooltewah, TN. He is proceeded in death by his parents Oscar and Margaret (Lott) Gardner and his one sister Mary and five brothers, Thomas, Henry, William, Joseph and Norman. His wife of 60 years passed away on August 5, 2006.

Gene was born on March 14, 1927, in Centreville, Wilkinson County, Mississippi. He graduated high school from Ozark Academy in Gentry, Arkansas in 1944, and attended Walla Walla College in Walla Walla, WA in the early 1950’s.

Beginning military service on May 2, 1945, and ending on October 29, 1946, Gene was a World War II veteran serving as a surgical technician 4th Class at the 97th Army General Hospital in Frankfort, Germany.

A month after Gene was discharged from the Army he married the love of his life, Lois Jean Cochran on November 21, 1946, in Rifle, CO. To this union two children were born–-Susan Marie (Gardner) Whitsett and David Lynn Gardner.

As a lifetime member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Gene felt called to serve in the publishing ministry of the church. Starting with the print shop at Ozark Academy he went on to work at the two college presses of Southwestern Adventist University in Texas and Walla Walla University in Washington State.

From the College Press at Walla Walla University, Gene accepted a call from the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Department to be superintendent than manager of the African Herald Publishing House at Kendu Bay, Kenya, East Africa. There he would serve from 1957 – 1969. The remainder of his work for the publishing department of the church would be at the Review & Herald Publishing House in Maryland.

Gene leaves behind two children, Susan Gardner Whitsett (George) and David Lynn Gardner, five grandchildren, Jeffrey Whitsett, Gregory Whitsett (Amy), Sharna Gardner Johnson, Gavin Gardner and Heather Whitsett Quigley (Robert) eight great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Gene will be laid to rest next to his beloved wife in Union Cemetery of Montgomery Co. Burtonsville, Maryland.

Arrangements entrusted to Chattanooga Funeral Home, Valley View Chapel.