was born in Hopewell, Virginia on June 27, 1931, the son of Eva Butler and Noah Slade Gardner. He was the youngest of two children; his older sibling was Rebecca “Becky”. The family settled in Greensboro North Carolina, where Jack grew up. Jack was an energetic, popular, extroverted, full of life personality, known for making people laugh. Growing up, he was known for being a “class clown” and doing little pranks. As a lover of a cappella harmony , his early teen age dream was to join a traveling singing group, but instead signed up for the Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune and served in the Korean War. Due to his Quaker faith, he did not have to fight, but instead  served as a paramedic . He used to enjoy skating, so while out skating, he met Sarah Jeannette Hawkins (whose father owned the skating rink). Jack and Jeannette had two children; Jay Bruce and Sara Elizabeth. He was a loving father and devoted himself to raising a family and worked hard in Medical Sales, relocating his family to Richmond, Virginia. Jack enjoyed cooking on special occasions - fried oysters, oyster soup, special homemade spaghetti sauces, eggs Benedict and the creamiest Christmas fudge. Remaining in the medical field, Jack later went from sales to business, as owner of Virginia "Rehabilitation Physical Therapy". He was passionate about music and performed as lead singer with his Quartet the “Two Plus Two Four”, competing nationally. He also was the Director of Two Choruses (one all men, the other all women); Among the choral repertoire was "The battle Hymn Republic" in which Jack  was showcased as the soloist, while the chorus backed him up. He loved people and was known as the guy that “never met a stranger”. He retired to Sarasota, Florida in 1991, after the loss of his son, Bruce (who had been residing in Phoenix Arizona after receiving his master's at Arizona State). Jack passed 6 years later, in 1997 at age 66. His early passing is believed to be connected with the Camp Lejeune Marine base water contamination.   Jack appears throughout the book, “More than words can ever tell” (2020) by Jennifer Hobaugh Lansbury, his niece.