Pat Cowlishaw

Steve was truly one of a kind.  He was my close friend for a long time, and we remained friends from a distance as our lives took different directions.  Steve was smart, maybe too smart for his own good at times.  He had a bit of cop in him, though he wouldn't admit it.  That was a gift from his dad, Henry Gardner, a career policeman and for many years chief of the Highland Park Police.  Working long ago as a lawyer for the Texas Attorney General, for Austin Legal Aid, or more recently for the Union of Concerned Scientists, Steve never lacked for confidence to identify the bad guys and go after them, and we can be glad that he had some success at it.  Steve's gift for a smart remark may have come from his mother, who was a lovely and loving lady with a sharp sense of humor.

Steve was a loving father.  His son and my second daughter were born the same day in the same labor and delivery unit at St. Paul's.  We saw one another's children grow through their early years.

The world was never a neat fit for Steve Gardner.  He carved his own path through it, a path that was loud and at times irreverant.  But beneath Steve's cutting wit was a kind and generous heart, concerned for the underdog and disappointed that we all so often fall short in how we treat one another.  I will miss him.  Rest in peace, my friend.

Jim Richmond

I shared a ninth grade world history class with Steve taught by Ellen Fleming at RJHS.  Tom Grimes was also in that class along with Lane Freeman. Early intellects of our class! Steve and Tom would hilariously banter quite often over the finer points of the lesson plan. I don't think I ever heard Steve refer to Tom as other than GRIMES   The few times I saw Steve after graduation I would teasingly remind him of when he rolled his VW bus on St. Lukes Dr. He would put a finger to his lips and remind me he had a reputation to uphold. Funny guy. Enjoyed  him.