John Gardner, Jr.

John Stephen Gardner Jr. of Whitman, passed away at home on June 10, 2015 at the age of 34 after a long battle with health issues and drug addictions. He was born on March 1981 and lived in Whitman, MA his entire life.

John attended Whitman public schools but graduated from Middleboro High School. John was a people person and enjoyed socializing with various groups of people from children to the elderly. He wanted to be just like his dad and worked for his dads asphalt company when his health permitted. He loved being outside during the warmer weather and would go to Saco River in Maine with his friends. In the winter he would plow and had his own account in Weymouth where he became very friendly with his customers. He enjoyed working with his hands and whittle during his free time. He loved watching movies, going to concerts, helping people and spending time with family and friends. He hated seeing people being bullied and would intervene and defend the weaker person.

John's struggle with drugs was the hardest aspect of his life for his family to watch. There is a feeling of powerlessness that you experience as you hope for the best in your child's life that and yet watch them succumb to addictions grip. Every day was a battle to stay clean. Most days he won but when he lost-we all lost. Drugs slowly destroy your loved ones before your eyes. It seems like the tighter you grip them, to keep them safe from the evil, the harder it can be to hold on. The fruitless fights, the silent prayers, the pleading, the talks, even begging sometimes can’t reach through the fog the act seems to walk through. Yet we never gave up. As parents, you love your kids no matter what and we chose to enjoy the good times with him and tried to help him through his bad times. At the end of the day, we simply loved our son; his good, his bad and his ugly.

John is survived by his parents, John S. Gardner Sr. and Olive (Brown) Gardner of Whitman. His siblings Tom, Dean and Jennie Gardner and his uncle George Brown of Whitman. His sister in law Amy Gardner, his niece Michaela and nephews Mike and Mikail Gardner of Hanson. His goddaughters, Alivia Howland of Taunton and Neveah Blodgett-Ortiz of Allenton, PA. His godfather Steven Blodgett and god sister Vickie Blodgett of Allenton, PA and many aunts and uncles and cousins from Pembroke, Whitman, Halifax, West Bridgewater, East
Bridgewater, Wareham, Abington, Taunton, Maine, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, N.H, Florida and Pennsylvania. He was the grandson of the late Russell "Great Moose" Gardner and Thelma (Hicks) Gardner of Halifax and the late Lewis and Pearl (Reid) Brown of Whitman.