Thomas Edwin Gardner

SUNRISE

August 7, 1937

Toronto, Ontario

SUNSET

January 20, 2012

Toronto, Ontario

Peacefully at Toronto General Hospital on Friday, January 20, 2012 at the age of 74. Loving father of Jennifer Gardner. He will be missed by his dear friend Marilyn Sankarsingh. Friends will be received at GIFFEN-MACK FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTRE, 2570 Danforth Ave., (Main St. subway), 416-698-3121, on Friday, January 27, 2012

from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Service in the Giffen-Mack Chapel at 11:30 a.m. Interment to follow at St. John's Norway Cemetery. The family would like to thank Marlene Cox and the staff at the Rekai Centre, as well as Toronto General Hospital for all their care and support.

God Saw Him Getting Tired

God saw Thomas was getting tired

When a cure was not to be.

So He wrapped His arms around him

And whispered, “Come to Me”.

In tears we saw him sinking,

We watched him fade away.

Our hearts were truly broken,

He fought so hard to stay.

But when we saw Thomas sleeping

Peacefully and free from pain,

We could not wish him back

To suffer that again.

So keep Your arms around Thomas, Lord,

And give him special care,

Make up for all he suffered,

That seemed to us unfair.

So many times we’ve needed him,

So many times we’ve cried.

If love could have saved him,

Thomas never would have died.

FOOTPRINTS

One night a man had a dream. In it he was

walking along a beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one

belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the final scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He

noticed many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints, and realized that they came at the hardest and saddest times of his life.

Bothered about this, he questioned the Lord,

saying, "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most burdensome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why ,when I needed you the most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My dear child, I love you and I

would never leave you. During the times of trial and suffering, when you see only

one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you."