Dr. Robert Tennant Gardner, Dr. Bob to all who knew and loved him, passed away
peacefully in his sleep on Friday, July 26, 2024 at the age of 86. He was born on
September 4, 1937 in Beckley, West Virginia to Willie Powers Gardner and Inez Priscilla
Gardner.

Bob graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in the class of 1955 where he served
as football captain for the 1954 season, losing only one game. His proudest
accomplishment, though, was convincing his high school sweetheart, Barbara, to go on
a date.

Bob's love of football carried him to Marshall College, now Marshall University, where
he lettered three years and graduated in 1959 with a B.S. in biology. Bob was a
member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and The Robe.

Bob and Barbara were married in the summer of 1962 and moved to Memphis,
Tennessee, where Bob attended Southern College of Optometry. He was a member of
Omega Delta Fraternity and graduated in 1964-officially becoming "Dr. Bob."
Dr. Bob returned to Beckley where he practiced optometry from 1964 until 2020. Many
folks will recall the only thing he practiced more often than optometry was patience,
followed closely by golf.

In Beckley, Dr. Bob was a beloved pilar of the community. He was a member of Beckley
Presbyterian Church, the American Optometric Association, the West Virginia
Optometric Association, Black Knight Country Club, Glade Springs, the Beckley Moose
Lodge, and the Beckley Elks Lodge, where he served as Exalted Ruler. He also served
as President of the Beckley Citizens Scholarship Foundation and was inducted into the
Woodrow Wilson High School Hall of Fame and the West Virginia Sports Legends Hall
of Fame.
A selfless patriarch, Dr. Bob loved his family more than anything else. He was a
devoted husband, father, and grandfather and loved to talk about the crazy things going
on in his people's lives over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

Friends and family will remember Dr. Bob for his laugh, his smile, and his rolodex of old
stories. We'll never forget about the time he was kidnapped by his fraternity brothers
(and escaped) or when he brought baby alligators to Huntington to use as invitations for
their formal (then released them in a neighbor's pond).

Dr. Bob's patients will remember him for his kind heart, patience, and ability to put
everyone at ease. No matter if someone visited his office once or one hundred times, he
never forgot a name and if you were farsighted or "as nearsighted as a bat."

Dr. Bob is preceded in death by his beloved wife Barbara, who has been anxiously
awaiting his arrival since her passing in 2021.


He is survived by his two children, R.T. Gardner and Jenkie Gardner Atkinson, his
daughter-in-law, Julie Gardner, his son-in-law, B.T. Atkinson, and his five grandchildren,
Tennant Gardner (Alexandra), Mary Collins Howell (Jason), William Atkinson, Gardner
Atkinson, and Ellie Gardner, as well as countless friends and loved ones.

A visitation will be held at Beckley Presbyterian Church at 11:45am on Thursday,
August 8th followed by a service at 1pm. A burial service will immediately follow at
Sunset Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Beckley Presbyterian Church.

Honorary Pallbearers, as well as cherished friends, will be Gene Edwards, John Eye, Fred Harper, Howard Hurt, Paul Hutchinson, Joe Long, Chuck Lucas, Paul Mallamas, Howard Mollohan, and Ben Williams.

After the services, the family welcomes Dr. Bob's friends and loved ones to a
celebration of life at Pasquale's, one of his longtime favorites, to share in laughs and
good memories.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Melton Mortuary and Cremation Center. Expressions of comfort and condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.meltonmortuary.com