Wanda Louise Coleman Gardner

Wanda Louise Coleman Gardner, 71, of Greenville, South Carolina passed away on Sunday, May 8th, 2016, after two years of suffering from Post Herpatic Neuropathy, a painful condition that occurs after Shingles.
There will be a short memorial service on Friday, May 13th, 2016, at 3:30pm in the small chapel at the Cremation Society of South Carolina, 328 Dupont Dr, Greenville, SC 29609. The family will then be hosting a celebration of her life afterwards around the pool and gardens at their home where she loved entertaining and taking care of others.
Wanda was born in Concord, North Carolina on April 25th, 1945. She was married to John William Gardner, Jr. on March 29, 1963; they were married fifty-three (53) years and started life together in Greensboro, NC. John was able to secure a long career with Schering Plough allowing them to live in many different cities and states throughout the south, eventually settling in Collierville, TN where they lived for over 20 years beginning their involvement in the Methodist faith. In each city Wanda and John made friends for life. Wanda worked as a Medical Billing Manager for Dr. William Oswald in Memphis, TN for eighteen years before she took early retirement to move to Greenville, South Carolina, to care for her grandchildren. Once the twins were born, her husband, John, retired from his second career in the Casinos, to join Wanda (“Nonnie”) in caring for their grandchildren. Wanda enjoyed cooking, gardening, crafting, and making their house a home; but her true passion was in caring for others. She even sacrificed her love of the South and moved with her husband to help her daughter and the grandkids in Anchorage, Alaska for three years. Her adventurous return to Greenville, SC was her last move where she was able to enjoy the four seasons, neighborly visits, travel soccer with her grandson Cole, competitive gymnastics with her granddaughter Callie, and the doting love and excitement about life with her grandson Caleb.
Wanda is survived by her spouse, John W. Gardner, Jr.; her daughters, Wendy Lea Murphy and her husband Curtis Weeman of Bremerton, WA, and Amy Lerae Gardner of Greenville, SC; her grandchildren, Andrew Christian Murphy (age 30) and his wife Vanessa of San Diego, CA, Daniel Coleman Gardner (Cole - age 14) of Greenville, SC, and twins (age 10) Callie Willoveigh Gardner and Caleb William Gardner of Greenville, SC; her aunt Hilda Jones in Winston Salem, NC; brother in-law Gary Gardner and his wife Pat of North Myrtle Beach, SC; her nieces, Kelly Lee Cannon and her husband Jeff of Salisbury, NC, Jennifer Talbert and her family in the Charlotte, NC area, and Angie Hartman of Newport, NC; her nephew Brian Lee and his wife Cyndi of Concord, NC; her grand nephews Stephen and Donovan Canada, Tyler and Tanner Cannon, Raif and Lane Hartman, and Blake Stirewalt; and other family and lots of dear friends.
Wanda is preceded in death by her Mother, Willoveigh Farmer Coleman (aka Bonnie); her Father, John Denville Coleman (aka Dink); her sister Malinda Coleman Lee; and her nephews Stephen Canada and Kyle Lee.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to the charity of your choice in memory of Wanda Gardner. The Gardner family wishes to thank all their friends and family that have helped in this transition of life without Wanda.