Obituary of Frederic C. Gardner Sr.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Fred Gardner, Sr. 97, of Peabody, MA, on Sunday, September 6, 2020. Fred lived a very full life enjoying the time with his children, grand-children and great grand-children. He leaves his son, Fred Jr and his wife Joanne of Byfield; His daughter Margaret and her husband John of Mulberry, FL, daughters Kathleen Cobble and Claire Tomas of Peabody and daughter Leann and her husband Chet of Leicester, MA. He leaves many grand-children and great grand-children. He was pre-deceased by his wife of 47 years, Marie and his daughters Ellen Mitchell and Anne Gardner, a niece Elizabeth Addonizio and a granddaughter, Amanda Tompkins. Fred served in the US Merchant Marines during WW II and then worked for Walter Bakers Chocolates for many years. Fred then worked for the Peabody Electric Light Dept until he retired in 1986. For well over sixty years, Fred was active in high school and college sports. He was a member of the Association of New England Football Officials, the Eastern Mass Baseball Umpires Association, Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Football Officials, North Shore Baseball Umpires Association and International Association of Approved Basketball Officials. During this time, he officiated 1000’s of games and served as a member of numerous boards for these associations. Through his involvement with Sports, Fred was able to impact so many lives and was always happy to meet a young person who remembered him from their athletic experiences. Fred’s enjoyment of life will be missed by many, but will continue to influence others to enjoy what life brings their way. His funeral service will be held at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody on Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Visiting hours will be held prior to the service on Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. All attendees are required to wear a mask and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Burial will be private for family only. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 220 N Main St., # 104, Natick, MA 01760 (www.cff.org).