Lynn Marie Gardner, 71, of Plant City Fl., passed away February 21st, 2016. Lynn is survived by her loving family, husband of 47 years, Roger Gardner; children Todd (Melinda) Gardner, grandchildren Joshua and Megan, and Jennifer (Bradley) Thomas, grandchildren Brittany, Lauren, and Meagan.
Visitation and memorial will be held on Thursday February 25th from 6:00 to 8:00pm at Serenity Meadows Funeral Home and Cemetery, Riverview Fl. Mass of Christian Burial Friday February 26th, 2016 at 1:30pm at Nativity Catholic Church, Brandon Fl. followed by a brief grave side service at Serenity Meadows. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Life Path Hospice, Melech Hospice House in Temple Terrace, Fl. (https://lifepathhospice.chaptershealth.org/GeneralDonation under DESIGNATION select Melech House)
To view Lynn's complete obituary, please visit the Serenity Meadows website at www.serenitymeadows.com .
Lynn was born in Buffalo, Ny. to Ralph Frederick Koontz and Betty Mae (Hosler) Koontz on March 15th 1944. At the age of 2 she moved from Buffalo to Ft. Wayne, In. where she spent her childhood and early adult life. She attended Huntertown High School and graduated in 1962, and later attended Indiana University. In 1967, while working at GTE she met and fell in love with Roger Gardner. Roger and Lynn were married in Ft. Wayne, In. at St. Vincent's Catholic Church on November 9th 1968. After the birth of their two children Todd (1969) and Jennifer (1973), Roger's work took Lynn and the family to Brandon Fl., a suburb of Tampa. Lynn worked in real estate and mortgage banking for many years. But her real joy was being a wife, homemaker, mother and most of all a grandmother. Lynn, known as Baba to her grandchildren - Brittany, Lauren, Joshua, Megan, and Meagan - truly adored them.
After retiring from mortgage banking, Lynn kept very busy with her husband, children and grandchildren as well as taking on many new challenges. She began Paper Crafting in earnest; became a Life Writing coach at the Bloomingdale Library, and joined the Beta Iota Master chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. In retirement she spent countless hours, and received great joy from the time spent with her family, friends and sorority sisters.
Lynn is preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Betty Koontz, and her younger brother Douglas G. Koontz.