William Gardner

Will passed away at his family home on May 4, 2015 following a yearlong battle with cancer.  He was born in Evanston on March 14, 1985 to Dale and Jean Gardner.  He graduated from Evanston High School in 2004 and got an Associate Degree from WWCC in Rock Springs in 2007.  After a year at the University of Wyoming, Will moved in December of 2008 to Butte, Montana as part-owner and co-manager of the bar “Zeppies” .  The bar was sold in March of 2013 and he became the assistant manager and then manager of the Cinema Complex in Butte.  He continued working at the movie theater until he had to take a medical leave in August of 2014 to get further treatment at the Huntsman Cancer Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Will loved to run, and during high school re ran cross country in the fall and track in the spring.  He participated in many 5-K and half marathon races.  He ran a full marathon in Salt Lake City in 2009.  During high school and college, Will spent his summers in Star Valley, Wyoming and developed a love for golf while working at the Valley Vu Golf Course in Afton and the Star Valley Ranch Golf Course.  He loved following his favorite sports teams;  the Wyoming Cowboys, the Utah Jazz, the Oakland Raiders, and the Atlanta Braves.  He was also a fan of Nascar.
Will is survived by his parents Dale and Jean Gardner of Evanston; a brother Jared Gardner and his fiancé Sidney and her daughter Adi of Santa Clara, Utah; his nephews, Sage, Aidan, and Abram.  His life was blessed by his aunts and uncles, numerous cousins and friends throughout Wyoming, Utah, and Montana.  Will was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Magnus and Thelma Gardner from Cedar City, Utah and his maternal grandparents William and Josephine Megeath from Evanston, Wyoming.
In accordance to his wishes, Will’s body was donated to the University of Utah for medical research.  A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
Special thanks to Dr. James Hueftle and the health care workers at the St. James Healthcare Cancer Center in Butte, Montana; the many doctors and healthcare workers at the Huntsman and University of Utah Hospitals in Salt Lake City, Utah; Dr. Daniel Broadbent and Best Home Health and Hospice in Evanston for giving us an extra year to have Will in our lives.