Geraldine Ellen Gardiner

Geraldine Ellen (Atkinson) Gardiner, 91, passed away at St. Ann’s Home in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 29, 2019, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born in Detroit, Michigan to Winifred (Hartigan) Atkinson and Joseph H. Atkinson, and was one of seven children. She graduated from Immaculate High School and then from Providence Hospital School of Nursing, and became a Registered Nurse. Her first job was in the operating room at Providence Hospital. In 1953, she left nursing to become a full time mother, eventually to seven children. In 1961, she moved to Nashua, New Hampshire, after her husband, William Gardiner, received a job transfer, and she continued to stay home to care for her children. In 1971, she returned to work full time as a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua. She continued working there until 1978, when she and her husband and their two youngest children moved to East Lansing, Michigan. At that time, she took a nursing job at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, and continued there until retiring from full time work in 1995. Thereafter, she worked part time as a home care nurse for several more years. Geri enjoyed gardening, spending time with her grandchildren and watching MSU hockey and basketball. She was a devout Catholic and enjoyed taking Communion to the homebound. Her favorite saying was, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” She was predeceased by her husband of 47 years, William Gardiner, by her husband of 11 years, Albert Nordheden, and by her sister, Josephine Sartor. Surviving are her siblings, John Atkinson, James Atkinson, Michael Atkinson, Frank Atkinson, and Patricia Lucier, her seven children, Mary Edwards, Patricia (James) Belanger, Arthur (Mary) Gardiner, Michael Gardiner, Anne Meneely, Jean Hoekstra and Robert (Kimberly) Gardiner, as well as her grandchildren, Andrew Edwards, Katie Edwards, Heather O’Rourke, Brandon Mikulis, Arthur Gardiner, Jr., Brian Gardiner, Alejandro Gardiner, Selena Gardiner, Isabel Gardiner, Hannah Meneely, Mara Meneely, Ari Hoekstra, Robert Gardiner, Jr., Jessica Gardiner and Olivia Gardiner, and her great-grandchildren, Gabrielle Gardiner, William Gardiner and Laurel Mikulis.

Please join her family for Visitation on Friday, January 3, 2020 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 East Grand River Ave, East Lansing, MI 48823. The Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, 955 Alton Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823 with Rev. Matthew Bonk as Celebrant. An additional hour of Visitation at church will begin one hour prior to the service. Interment at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery, in Southfield, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, it is asked that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033.