Bobby Wayne Gardner

On Monday, December 2, 2024 God supplied an eternal healing to his son Bobby Gardner. Bobby was absolutely loved by everyone he met. He was born December 3, 1953, in Hale Center, Texas, to Bobbie Jo Oden and Wayne Calvin Gardner. Bobby was raised in Midland, Texas, and graduated from Midland High School in 1972. He attended Odessa College in Odessa, Texas, before joining the U.S. Air Force in March 1973. He married Jenny Lewis in September of 1971 and they welcomed their first child in 1972. They divorced in 1974. He was stationed at Bergstrom Air Force base in Austin, Texas, until March 1979. Bobby was NCOIC in the hospital pharmacy throughout his 6 years in the military. While in Austin, Bobby attended and was baptized at Woodlawn Baptist Church.  He married Janice Johnson on July 4, 1976. He and Janice welcomed their first child in 1978. After leaving the military, he worked in finance for a few years then went to Carroll Watkins truck driving school and became a truck driver. He moved his family to Midland, Texas, in 1979. He was working for Nalco Chemical Co. when his third boy was born in 1982. He and his family moved back to Austin in 1983 and he work for 9 years with Fuel Distributors out of Temple, Texas, before moving back to Midland, Texas, in 1995. Bobby worked for Ashland Inc. (Valvoline & Chemical Division), Western Container, Flying Star Transport and Benchmark Research and Technology. After many years in west Texas, he decided to live a slower paced life in the hill country and moved to Granite Shoals, Texas. He went to work for Trimac and was a driver for a while. Then, in his last year with Trimac, he worked in the Marble Falls office. Bobby and his wife were members of Granite Mountain Baptist Church where he enjoyed being the adult Sunday School Class teacher.

Bobby absolutely enjoyed teaching God’s Word, not only to his class, but to just about every member of his family. One Christmas, he decided to read the Christmas story to his boys because he wanted them to grow up and know that Christmas was not about presents but about God’s gift of Jesus Christ and to  know what He did for them. So he started this tradition with his immediate family.  Soon everyone in the extended family wanted to join in the tradition of the candlelight after he read the Christmas story. Then friends of family members started joining in the tradition too. That was his favorite time to see and hear what God had done for everyone from year to year. If anyone had a Bible or faith question, he would recite a scripture and explain it to them. He also enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren; going fishing, watching their games, playing chess or just talking to them about their day. He enjoyed diagnosing and repairing small engines. He also loved mowing while listening to Christian talk radio programs and music.

He is preceded in death by his Maternal grandparents, Cecil and Audine Oden, his Paternal grandparents, Melvin and Florence Gardner

 Bobby is survived by his wife of 48 years, Janice Gardner, his parents Bobbie and Wayne Gardner of Kingsland, Texas, his sister Rita and husband Russell Evans of Kingsland, Texas, his sister Debbie and husband Jerry Bowman of Kingsland, Texas, his son Billy and spouse Lisa, their children Kimber, Braeden and Rylan of Buckeye, Arizona, his son Russell and spouse Allison and their son Cyrus of Marble Falls, Texas, Russell’s daughter Bailey Nelson of east Texas, and his son Randy and his children Ty and Elysse of Ft Worth, Texas.

Pallbearers: Billy Gardner, Russell Gardner, Randy Gardner, Curtis Choat, Rylan Gardner, Joe Bardeleben, Robert Bardeleben , Steve Scalzo and Mac Oldaker. Honorary pallbearers are Ty Gardner and Cyrus Gardner.

Funeral Services are planned for 2:00 p.m., Saturday, December 7, 2024 at Granite Mountain Baptist Church, 500 FM 1980 Marble Falls, Texas 78654. Interment will follow at Lakeland Hills Memorial Park, Burnet, Texas.

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