Obituary of Duane Orville Gardiner

Duane Gardiner, a longtime resident of Moberly Lake and Chetwynd, B.C. passed away on Sunday, June 21, 2015 in Edmonton, Alberta at the age of 71 years. Duane was born on May 2, 1944 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick to parents Orville and Doris. He was the middle child with two sisters, Karyl and Reta. Duane grew up on a 'mixed farm' in Bocabec Ridge, New Brunswick where they raised all kind of things from turkeys to sheep to strawberries and corn. As soon as he was old enough to handle the large draft horses, Duane was out in the bush horse logging with his dad. It was a chore he was happy doing and it created a love for both the bush and horses. Duane was addicted to old westerns on television; Rawhide, The Rifleman, and Gunsmoke were a few of his favorites. His dream was to become a cowboy, and somehow, he did. Until grade eight Duane went to school in a one room schoolhouse in Bocabec and was taught by Mrs. Gardiner, also known as 'Mom'. He went to high school in nearby St. Andrews and graduated in 1962. He then enrolled in the Forestry program at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. In early 1963, Karyl passed away. It was a difficult time for Duane as he and Karyl were extremely close. Being only a year apart in age, they did almost everything together. Duane worked his way through University, during the school year he would go home almost every weekend to horse log with his dad and he obtained a variety of forestry related jobs in the summer. He graduated with a degree in Forestry in 1968. While in school, Duane met Denise Hebert. She was a student at the Teacher's College downtown. Duane and Denise were married on October 26, 1968 and their honeymoon consisted of travelling from Frederiction, New Brunswick to their new home in Kapuskasing, Ontario. Duane started working with Spruce Falls in Kapuskasing. The majority of his first few years with them were in remote logging camps. He began working in Developmental Logging and had the opportunity to 'test' a wide variety of new fangled heavy duty equipment, including the first steel belted tires on a skidder and tree harvester. It was during the testing phase of the tree harvester that Duane developed his deep respect for hard hats on work sites; he doesn't remember anything, but was hit hard by the harvester as it was swinging a tree and dented his hard hat. Duane continued to pursue his dream of becoming a cowboy. King joined their family in the summer of 1969 and lived 6 miles away on a farm. The next spring, they bought a wagon and saddle. In 1972, Duane saw an opportunity to move west and on December 12 he and Denise arrived in Grande Prairie, Alberta. He began work and helped set up a new Woodlands Division for the Proctor and Gamble pulp mill. In 1974, Duane found a job as a Divisional Forester in Chetwynd, B.C. and was surrounded by the bush and a number of ranches. Duane figured this was the place for him. In July of 1974, Duane and Denise bought a little log house with 14 acres on Moberly Lake. They continued to renovate and improve on the little log house for the next 41 years. Suzanne was born in 1978 and Duane was determined to make a cowgirl out of her. She was taken out to the barn for her first introductions to the horses on the way home from the hospital. Despite the disappointment on the cowgirl front, Suzanne and Duane were good friends, they truly enjoyed each other's company. Duane worked at Canfor in Chetwynd. He had a lot of fun and made lifelong friends. Duane retired in 2000 after 26 years with Canfor, he was now able to pursue his second career as a cowboy. Misty Meadows Ranch was ten miles away, Duane would saddle up and ride to the ranch, chase cows, and ride home. Duane was concerned that because Suzanne wasn't a cowgirl she would bring home an 'artsy-fartsy useless city slicker'. He was relieved when she brought Richard home. Not only could he run the tractor, he also came from a long line of loggers and bushmen. Suzanne and Richard married and moved to Fort St. John. Their first son Michael was born in 2012. Michael could do no wrong until that fateful day when he referred to Duane's horse as 'that nice cow'. Their second son Matthew was born in 2014. Duane missed the social atmosphere at work and soon became a regular at A&W that way he could keep up with the local news and enjoy his free cup of coffee. Duane had a fantastic smile and a kind heart. He loved to be surrounded by family and friends and delicious goodies. He will be missed. Duane was predeceased by his parents Orville and Doris, and his sister Karyl. Duane is survived by his loving wife of 52 years Denise, his daughter Suzanne (Richard), grandsons Michael and Matthew, his sister Reta (Lorne), niece Andrea (Jeff), his nephews Ryan (Jacqie), and Mark (Amanda), grandniece and grandnephews Annika, Drayden, Grady, and Brexton. A Celebration of Duane's Life was held on Friday, July 3 at 2:00 PM at the Chetwynd Fellowship Baptist Church. Interment will be at a later date. For friends so wishing, donations may be made in memory of Duane to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. & Yukon, 1480-7th Avenue Prince George, B.C. V2L3P2. Very Respectfully Reynars Funeral Chapel and Crematorium.