Dr. Stephen Gardner

Stephen L. Gardner, Jr., 61, poet, scholar, editor, anthologist, respected professor and beloved son, devoted husband, brother, uncle and beloved friend, sports enthusiast, lover of birds and dogs and all things wild, entered into rest on November 10, 2009. After earning the Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University where he wrote the first creative writing dissertation in that English department, Gardner became a celebrated teacher of English at the University of South Carolina-Aiken from 1971-2008, he was professor of the year at USCA in 1974, where he influenced many students to become teachers and poets themselves. At different stages during his academic career, Gardner was Dean of Humanities, the G.L. Toole Professor of English, and Distinguished Professor of English. Gardner is author of the noted poetry collections This Book Belongs to Eva (1996) and Taking the Switchback (2009). For over a decade, Gardner was editor and publisher of Kudzu Poetry Magazine and The Devil's Millhopper Poetry magazine and TDM Press. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Aiken Center for the Arts and as former president of the Board of Governors of the South Carolina Academy of Authors. With William Wright, Gardner was co-editor of the first two volumes of The Southern Poetry Anthology. Gardner is survived by his wife, Josephine Biga Gardner (JoAnn) of Aiken, SC; mother, Ida R. Gardner (“Shine”) of Columbia; sister, Lynn G. Newman of San Antonio, TX; nieces and nephew, Stephanie Newman of Dallas, TX, Meredith Newman of Austin, TX, and Andrew Newman and his wife, Ally, of Dallas, TX; stepchildren, Sean Derrick and his wife, Brandi, of Lafayette, LA; James Giles and his wife, Jill, of Roanoke, VA; Jacqueline Giles of Lexington, SC; and Jannette Hypes and husband, Eric, of Jefferson City, TN. He was preceded in death by his father, Stephen L. Gardner, Sr. Services will be held at Shellhouse Funeral Home, Inc., 924 Hayne Ave, Aiken, SC on Friday, November 13, at 3 p.m. The family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home and later at Dr. Gardner's home. In lieu of flowers, please forward donations to the Stephen Gardner’s scholarship fund for USCA students: Make checks payable to the Aiken Partnership, designated for The Stephen Gardner English Scholarship Endowment Fund. Please send donations to The Stephen Gardner English Scholarship Endowment Fund, Department of English, University of South Carolina-Aiken, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, SC, 29801. Dr. Gardner's online guest book may be signed at www.shellhousefuneralhome.com Shellhouse Funeral Home, Inc., 924 Hayne Ave., Aiken, SC To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dr. Stephen Gardner, please visit our flower store.