Gardner Gray

Gardner Bradlee Gray’s earthly guitar strings stilled Nov. 30, 2021 in the company of his family. Aged 79 years, he was the last of his immediate family’s generation.
Uncle Gardy served as family patriarch: sharing music, unconditional love and advice with all who knew him. Most recently of Whitewood, S.D., he called Pringle, S.D. home for many years.
As a Navy Aviator, Gardner flew 99 missions of photo reconnaissance over Vietnam from the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier. After Vietnam he flew commercially with Trans World Airlines for many years and taught aviation at a college in New Hampshire.
He and his wife, Lynn, have lived in the Black Hills of South Dakota for 27 years. They had a fun adventure of five years when they opened Vintage Cowboy in Hill City, a retail store offering old west clothing, hats and spurs.
Music was very much a part of Gardner’s life and he could be found in various venues around the southern Black Hills playing his guitars and singing. Other interests were horses, dogs and baseball. As a youngster, Gardner’s Little League team played in the Little League World Series. By far, his family and friends were his very first loves.
While he mellowed considerably in the last few years, wherever he is, rest assured he is tormenting those of higher authority with a whole host of loudly voiced questions designed to stand up against blind authority and champion the needs of those who cannot speak for themselves. Chances are, he has already begun organizing conscientious resistance in the afterlife.
We are comforted in the knowledge that his love and memory still reside in the hearts of his wife, Lynn Gray; his children, Heather (Greg) Ten Broek, Shane Valandra and children  Bradlee, Lauren and Alexis; and Joshua Gray (Carrie) and children Elizabeth and Katherine; along with countless extended family members and friends.
Please join us in keeping that love and memory strong.
If you would like to do something in his memory, vaccinate yourself and get your booster shot in the fight against COVID-19.  Or, donate to the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance in Gardner’s name.
A celebration of his life will be held in the summer of 2022.

 

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