In Memoriam Glenn Gardner

Past PSBA President Glenn Gardner passed away in early August 2017 following an accidental fall. He was 88.

Glenn served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was stationed in Japan at U.S. General Headquarters where he met his future wife, Kitty, who was the interpreter for Captain Evans.   Glenn and Kitty married in Japan and after the end of the Korean War in 1953 returned to the United States. They first settled in Tucson, Arizona where Glenn completed an engineering degree, then moved to Seattle where he worked as an engineer for Boeing.  He and Kitty had two daughters.

Glenn and Kitty were longtime members of PSBA, having joined the Club in 1979.  Glenn became an ardent bonsai enthusiast and built up a large bonsai collection at their home in Fall City, where wildlife sightings were common and airplane-owning neighbors used the street as a taxiway.

For many years Glenn and Kitty helped with refreshments at PSBA monthly meetings.  Glenn wrote regularly for the old Clippings newsletter with intelligence and a touch of wit. He and Kitty co-chaired a bonsai convention, bringing in several visiting artists from Japan.   Glenn served as President in 1994-1995.  Following his term he became chair of new-member workshops and worked tirelessly to teach new members about bonsai.

After retiring  from Boeing, Glenn worked at Bonsai Northwest for ten years with Sharon and John Muth. 

Glenn and Kitty also volunteered for many years at the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection, now the Pacific Bonsai Museum.  Founding curator David DeGroot fondly remembers Glenn's wry sense of humor and pithy observations.

In all their activities Glenn and Kitty proved themselves to be good company as well as dependable, knowledgeable and conscientious  volunteers. Although in recent years Glenn’s involvement in bonsai was constrained by Kitty’s declining health, he is fondly remembered by all who knew him.  He will be greatly missed.