James A. Gardner

James “Gards” Gardner, 58, of Campbellsport met his match against a hard-fought battle against Acute Myeloid Leukemia on Thursday, June 6, 2019, while being held by his treasured daughter, Anna, amazing son, Joseph, and their mother Stacey Durand,

Jim was born to Joseph and Joyce Zimmerman Gardner on June 15, 1960 in Fond du Lac, WI. He was the third child of four including Bill Gardner, Kathy Heiman (Gregg), and John (Cheryl) Gardner. Jim shared endless memories throughout his life with his siblings. The love for them was evident. Jim learned at an early age that helping others was the road to a bowl of ice cream at the end of the day. His dad always said: "ice cream would in fill the cracks after eating supper." A tradition that Jim passed on to his family.



Growing up, Jim ran with the Emma street neighborhood which offered him a lifetime full of true friendships. As one of his childhood friends stated recently, "To have a good friend, is to be a good friend." Jim always laughed that it is a true miracle that all of them turned out okay in the end after all the trouble they caused together.



He graduated in 1978 from Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac and was part of the book club, in other words, the "Book out of school so we can go fishing club." Soon after, Jim followed his dad's footsteps working for the railroad and then went on to obtain his journeyman electrician license in 1998. Jim used his education and talents to help build dreams and light up the world of so many. Even more importantly, he would hide in the ceilings while standing on ladders, play pranks on the members of the IBEW Local 494, and use as much black duct tape and barking spiders as possible.



Jim had many joyful areas in his life, but the light of his life was his children. In 1999, his daughter Anna was born, followed by his son Joseph, born in 2004. If you gave him even a moment to talk, the first thing he would fill your ear with is how proud he was of them both. If you could not hear him talking about his children, you could hear him cheering them on in everything they did and accomplished from the "perfect view" in the gym, on the field, or at the diamond. On Sunday nights you could find him with his kids at Slinger Speedway. Jim's talents allowed him to build his beloved, dream home to raise his children in. Shortly after building, he was rewarded with incredible neighbors to raise his kids near. Even though they may be biased, his children would describe him in three words, "Best. Dad. Ever."



Jim leaves behind his favorite pool stick, his hunting rifles, and his retired softball glove. After all, he was the only second basemen that could get a solid hit down the right-field line. He also leaves behind his first and only motorcycle that everyone knew the sound of as he pulled in. Jim will be reunited with his mother, father, and sister in law, Janet (William) Gardner among other cherished family and friends.



Thank you all for the amazing friendships, laughter and a lifetime of memories for his beloved family. Also, there is a special place in Jim's heart and his family's for his outstanding medical staff at Froedtert Hospital, especially the team that worked with him at the Center for Advanced Care Unit 7. They supported Jim and his family beyond measures and the family will be forever grateful.



If you want to hear his stories or share more with his family, Jim's visitation will be held at Uecker-Witt Funeral Home on Monday, June 10, 2019 from 4:00 -8:00 PM, with a prayer service following. His burial will take place at Ledgeview Cemetery on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to The Gardner Family Trust at National Exchange Bank and Trust, 130 S. Main St. Fond du Lac, WI 54935.



Light up the heavens!