Grady Eugene Gardner

GRADY EUGENE GARDNER

Funeral services for lifelong area resident Grady Eugene Gardner will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 1, 2023 at Ertel Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at Arriola Cemetery. Pastor Marvin Graves will officiate. Please join the family for a dinner following the interment at the Lewis Arriola Fire Station.

 Grady Eugene Gardner was born December 22, 1940 in Cortez, Colorado.  He passed away May 25, 2023 at his home in Dolores, Colorado.  Our beloved husband, Dad, and Papa succumbed after a short (by God’s grace and mercy) but fierce battle with lung cancer.

Grady grew up in the Arriola Community with his parents Robert H. Gardner and Marguerite (Thomas) Gardner and two siblings, Robert Lynn and Roberta.  He was married at the youthful age of 21 to Gayle Barbee.  Grady and Gayle lived in the Arriola Community for 32 years where they worked, ranched, and raised two children, Lori and Jeff.  They moved to the Lakeview Community in 1992 where they created a beautiful home oasis where they enjoyed many years with their family and friends nearby.

Grady enjoyed two careers and made many, many friends in each.  He was a truck driver out of necessity and a rancher out of passion. He loved his cows, horses and the cedar and sage of Hovenweep, his favorite place in the world.  Grady loved cowboying, camping, “lookin’ the country over” on his horse or recently in his side by side, good food, and family gatherings.  He enjoyed morning coffee on the porch with Gayle “solving the world’s problems”. 

Grady also enjoyed an occasional adventure.  Family trips to Hawaii, an Alaskan cruise, a trip to the NFR, a trip with the granddaughters and great granddaughters to Phoenix where they enjoyed an outing at the horse races and Top Golf were highlights.  His most recent trip was last fall with Gayle, Lori and Ray, and Jeff and Sherri on the Cumbres Toltec train.

Grady was a big hearted man and is already missed by many.  He is survived by Gayle his beautiful bride of 62 years, children Lori Stephenson (Ray), Jeff Gardner (Sherri), 3 granddaughters Sara Gardner, Kate Stephenson, and Megan Daves (Dalton), 2 great granddaughters, Arry and Taylor, and brother Lynn Gardner (Dolly).

Memorial contributions may be made in Grady's memory to Hospice of Montezuma P.O. Box 740 Cortez, CO 81321.