Bill Otis Gardner

Bill Otis Gardner

1926-2010

1942 Los Angeles Polytechnic H.S. Parrots'

Single-Wing Quarterback

Bill was Laurie's father. He was a strong willed, opinionated and principled man who passed away on Wednesday, December 15th due to heart and pulmonary issues.

Though small in stature, he was an intimidating presence to me as an 18 year old boy beginning to court his daughter back in 1965.

His love and devotion to both of his daughters, all of his grandchildren and his wife, Florene, was always evident to me.

I mentioned his principles, Bill was a staunch Republican and a USC fan which, of course, was a constant source of somewhat good natured friction between us over the years. On the day he died, he still had a Ronald Reagan for President bumper sticker proudly displayed on his car!

The very last thing he asked me to do for him on the day he died was to take a bunch of his USC Trojan memorabilia which had been moved and replace it to its true place of honor at the top of a bookshelf that he could no longer reach. His request came with that little smirk he could muster anytime I had to do anything USC related for him.

Bill was quite a guy and we are all going to miss him, I just hope Ronald Reagan doesn't ask him for his opinion on anything.

Brazil Nuts.