- Date Of Birth: March 15, 1927
- Date Of Death: November 20, 2015
- State: Florida
On November 20, 2015, Robert Lee (Bob) Gardner, 88, joined the 3 loves of his life who went before Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, his beloved sweetheart of 70+ years, Helen Frieda Entrekin Gardner, and his only child, Robert Lee (Bobby) Gardner Jr. Born and raised in Biloxi MS, Bob was very athletic and the star player in football, basketball and track for Biloxi HS where he met his beloved Helen. After transferring to Pascagoula HS in Pascagoula MS, he made the All-State football team. On weekends, he continued courting Helen by riding the train to and from Biloxi. After high school, Bob spent 6 months in the Merchant Marines before marrying Helen on July 22, 1945 and soon enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as an Engineman on the USS LSM 378 during WWII and after, until his discharge in 1949. Bob soon found work in the oil fields of West Texas which inspired him to later seek a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A & M, graduating in 1955. He moved his family to South Carolina where Bob worked for DuPont, but was soon hired by Chemstrand (later known as Monsanto Textile Company) in the Pensacola area.
