Long-time Employee Cap Gardner Dies May 1

May 4, 2006

Cap Gardner, a retired physical plant administrator whose OBU career spanned nearly five decades, died May 1 in Oklahoma City. He was 86.

Gardner joined the OBU staff on Oct. 1, 1947, after serving seven years in the U.S. Air Force. He was director of the physical plant from 1981-84, and moved to the post of assistant director of plant accounting in 1985. He retired July 31, 1996. He received the university's Meritorious Service Award in May 1996.

A native of Texhoma, Okla., Gardner married Wanda Lou Aylor Jan. 3, 1943, at Shawnee's Immanuel Baptist Church. He was a deacon and active member of the church until his death. He also was a board member for Bison Federal Credit Union for 50 years.

Gardner joined the Army Air Corps in 1939. During his military career, he served in both World War II and the Korean Conflict.

While on the OBU staff, he saw the university's physical plant expand from a handful of campus structures to more than 25 major buildings. The only current OBU structures which existed when Gardner started his career on Bison Hill are Shawnee Hall, Owens Hall, Jent Alumni Center, Sarkeys Telecommunication Center, and WMU Memorial Dormitory.

Gardner is survived by his wife, Wanda, to whom he was married for 63 years; his children, Don and Karen Gardner of Foster, Dean Gardner of New York, N.Y., Gloria and Stephen Bonner of Rio Ranch, N.M.; grandchildren, David and Teresa Gardner of Shawnee, Johnathon and Jennifer Bonner of Norman, and Jamie Gardner of Oklahoma City; two great-grandchildren, Dillon and Tiffany Gardner of Shawnee; and sisters, Sadie Blanton of Shawnee and Madie Shaffer of Guymon.