Final Salute

Charles H. Gardner, Jr. Obituary

Charles H. Gardner, Jr. passed away peacefully on December 9, 2018. He lived 92 years and 11 months with an extraordinary appetite for life that was contagious. He never lost his love of learning and read several newspapers a day until his death.

He was born on January 1, 1926 as the first new year’s baby born in Cortland, NY (“although they never gave out any prizes back then”). Known to many by his childhood nickname of Butch, he spent nearly his entire life as a resident of Cortland.

Charles was the General Manager and Vice President of Sales for Crescent Corset Company in Cortland. During his four-decade career with the company, he traveled extensively throughout the United States, Central America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining Crescent, he had a brief career as a New York State Bank Examiner. According to family lore, he never missed a day of work in four decades.
Charles also spent years serving on the Board of Directors of Homer National Bank/Key Bank of Central NY, a position that he relished.

Following graduation from Cortland Normal School in 1943, he spent a year at Cornell University before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in September 1944. He served as a Seabee and was stationed on the island of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands during World War II. Following his honorable discharge, he re-started his education and graduated from Hobart College in 1949.

A lifelong member of Cortland Country Club, Charles served a term as Club President in the 1980s. He was an avid golfer and played into his 80s. He was also an excellent swimmer and swam laps at the Cortland YMCA up until his death. During college, Butch was well known for covertly taking mandatory college swimming tests for his buddies.

He grew up as a boy spending summers on Skaneateles Lake. He went for one last swim in the summer of 2017 and said, “I think we did pretty good today, didn’t we?” Charles never lost his love for the lake.

He shared a great love of family, friends, and life and possessed a near photographic memory. His favorite role was serving as Grampy to his six grandchildren. “They keep me young”, he often said, and he cherished his time with them.

Charles leaves behind his loving wife Carol who has been by his side for 62 years. Dad leaves behind two sons, Michael (Jill) and Chris (Lori). Grampy leaves behind six grandchildren that he adored – Eugene (Lindsay), Elliot, Austin, Charlotte, Nathan and Charlie.

He was predeceased by his parents, Charles, Sr. and Florence; his brother, John and his sisters, Florence Washburn and Elizabeth Paddock. He leaves a long trail of great, cherished friends.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at the United Presbyterian Church, 25 Church Street, Cortland at 11:00 AM. A reception will be held immediately following at the Cortland Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Cortland YMCA, 22 Tompkins Street, Cortland, NY 13045.