Captain Jack Gardner

Jack was born on September 26, 1935, in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Eugene Gardner and Maggie Bell Gardner. He attended Kansas City, Missouri schools, graduating from Manual High School in 1953. He married Frances Wormington on November 17,1953. She preceded him in death on September 22, 2016. Jack and Frances raised three children, Lynn, Dennis, and Cindy. They also raised a granddaughter, Tiffanie.

Jack was a Kansas City, Missouri firefighter for 20 years, advancing to the rank of captain before retiring. He also worked in construction for many years and contributed his skills and talents to projects all over the Kansas City area. By both his words and his example, along with some occasional tough love, he taught his children the value of hard work. Jack even built the house that the family moved into in 1968. Jack was a proud member of The Masons and enjoyed his commitment to that fraternal organization. Jack and Frances were also active members of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Later in life Jack became an enthusiastic wood carver and enjoyed carving a wide variety of figurines, including many Santa Clauses and Christmas ornaments that he gave to his grown children and their families as Christmas presents. Our houses are adorned each Christmas season with many colorful Santas carved by Jack and hand painted by Frances. The family was occasionally treated to a gathering at the Gardner house for a hearty meal of spaghetti, meatballs, and Italian sausage cooked by Jack using his special “fire house” recipe for homemade marinara sauce. No other spaghetti and meatballs ever tasted quite as good.

Jack was preceded in death by his wife Frances, his daughter Cindy, and grandson Chad, as well as by his parents and his brothers Eugene, James, and Joe, and his sisters Henrietta and Jessie.

He is survived by his daughter Lynn Kinney and her husband Doug, his son Dennis Gardner and his wife Roxane, eight grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 PM until 7:30 PM on Tuesday, September 30, at Newcomer’s Floral Hills Funeral Home, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, MO. Immediate family will attend a private burial gathering in Floral Hills Cemetery on Wednesday, October 1.

In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, PO Drawer 498, Emmitsburg, MD 21727, or online at www.firehero.org/donate/.