Richard T. Gardner Jr. ’55

Richard T. Gardner Jr. ’55 died on January 26 in Dover, Delaware. He is survived by children Michael ’81, Tu’87, Jeffrey, Lance, Patricia, and R. Thomas III. Dick grew up in Boonton, New Jersey, and graduated from Boonton High School, where he was captain of the track team and received the academic achievement award before coming to Dartmouth. Dick majored in chemistry and participated in Aegis, The Dartmouth, Camera Club, Dartmouth Outing Club, and Sigma Phi Epsilon. Starting his career in chemistry with the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, Dick moved to Dover, where he lived in a house on a county road for 55 years. He shared his life for 68 years with his wife, Aubrey, who predeceased him. Ken Lundstrom ’55 recalls, “Dick was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He introduced me and my oldest son to dove hunting in the rural area where he lived. He knew every farmer in the area and had permission to hunt in every harvested corn and soybean field. We had those Saturdays in the fall with a lot of shotgun shells and a few birds, which made for dinner in the evening. Dick was an excellent wing shot.” Dick enjoyed many activities, including genealogy, canoeing, archery, and collecting Native American artifacts. He was a member of the Italian Society, Irish Society, Volksmarch, First State Webfooters, Wilmington Trail Club, and Kent County Archaeology Society.