Greene commissioner dies
WAYNESBURG – Greene County Commissioner John R. Gardner, a lifelong resident of the county who served four different terms as commissioner, died Tuesday evening in Washington Hospital. Gardner, 68, was seeking the Republican nomination in the May primary for re-election.
He was first appointed to fill a vacated seat on the board of commissioners in 1979 and was subsequently elected to four-year terms in 1983, 1995 and 2003.
Gardner was involved in many different projects while serving as commissioner, playing a significant role in the renovations of the Fort Jackson and Ben Franklin buildings, the county courthouse and the old log courthouse, to name a few.
He also was actively involved in a variety of recent area recreational projects, including the Greene River Trail, the new tennis courts and new aquatic center.
Family members said many residents referred to Gardner as “The People ‘s Commissioner.” Commission Chairwoman Pam Snyder remembered him as “a true political warrior,” a man who loved Greene County and the people in a very special way.
“It has been my privilege to serve with him for the past 31/2 years,” Snyder said. “He wanted to leave a legacy to Greene County and by working together in this term, I believe he certainly has. His willingness to help, his dedication and honesty contributed to this administration’s success.
“I am proud to have called him my colleague, and blessed to have called him my friend,” Snyder continued. “On behalf of my family and the county staff, we extend our deepest sympathy to the Gardner family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all. John will be deeply missed by many.”
Although the official cause of his death was not known as of press time, Gardner had been recently hospitalized and was reportedly in poor health.
“John has had challenging health problems for many years but that never dampened his desire to serve the citizens of Greene County,” said Commissioner Dave Coder. “It was a pleasure to work with him; his experience and opinion will be sadly missed.”
Gardner was born on March 4, 1939, the son of the late Rev. Harry E. and Elisabeth Burns Gardner. He is a 1957 graduate of Waynesburg High School and a 1961 graduate of Waynesburg College, where he earned bachelor of science degrees in business administration and mathematics.
While in school, he worked at two different family-operated businesses. He worked at J.M. Burns & Sons, an appliance and music store in Waynesburg that was established by his grandfather, Ross Burns. Gardner later took a more active role in running the business until the mid-1970s. He later established Gardner Appliances, which he and his family owned and operated until 1981.
He also worked at Ross Burns Inc., a trucking and drilling company established by his grandfather. In 1974, Gardner trained to become a drilling products engineer; in 1979, while working for Paramount Exploration, he was part of a crew for the first coal methane degasification slant drill hole at Emerald Mines, which was the first of its kind in the region and set the standard for drilling slant holes for the removal of methane gas from coal fields in the eastern U.S.
Gardner’s service to the community started in the 1970s when, as a volunteer, he worked for Waynesburg Borough as its first zoning inspector. In 1979, he was appointed to the position of county commissioner that was vacated when Commissioner Ernest Lemley died.
He worked for Equitable Resources from 1980 until his retirement in 1995. Following his retirement, he returned to politics and was re-elected as county commissioner later that year and again in 2003.
He was involved in many associations and organizations, including the Pennsylvania Firemen’s Association, the Waynesburg Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as chief and president, Waynesburg Moose, BPOE 757, and American Legion Post 816 of Rices Landing.
He also was a member of Rotary International and the Republican State Committee, and he served on the board of trustees for Waynesburg College as well as the Pittsburgh Regional Clean Cities committee for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Gardner married Judith Parkins in 1961. The couple raised four children, Susan E. Gardner of Denver, Colo., Rebecca Gardner Price, of Pittsburgh, John R. Gardner Jr. of Pittsburgh, and David E. Gardner of Greenwood, S.C.
Visitation for Gardner will be at the Behm Funeral Home, located at 182 W. High Street in Waynesburg, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. A service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church in Waynesburg.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation, Waynesburg College, and/or First Presbyterian Church of Waynesburg.
Cards can be sent to: The Gardner Family, 265 Dark Hollow Road, Waynesburg, Pa. 15370.