Macklin Gardner

His name was Mack Gardner. He knew that a garden, like those we love, requires patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them. If one has a lovely garden, then surely he has had a lovely life. Some people who live on the west side of the Cascades think Yakima a barren and colorless maybe even desolate place. It’s dry and hot. Fortunately, there are very fine pockets of beauty and peace and the most delightful people. Mack may not have read The Man Who Planted Trees but he walked right off of those pages. That unsheltered dry land blasted with brilliant sunlight was blessed by his remarkable talents as a man who planted trees and grew hope and happiness. From the vineyards south of Yakima to rest stops north, from private estates to modest homes, from grand hospital atriums to commercial businesses, he and his crews planted them, watered them and nurtured them. North, south, east, or west, travel any direction in Yakima and you will benefit from his landscapes. Mack was a gifted and talented arboriculturist. Human character, to reveal its truly exceptional qualities, has to be observed during its performance over many years. Mack left a beautiful, enduring visible mark upon his community. Mack was the consummate tree man, and before you pass that off, consider the following, which would have pleased Mack a lot. Trees are an important part of every community. Our streets, parks, playgrounds and backyards are lined with trees that create a peaceful, aesthetically pleasing environment. Trees increase our quality of life by bringing natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban settings. We gather under the cool shade they provide during outdoor activities with family and friends. Trees control climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain and wind. Leaves absorb and filter the sun’s radiant energy, keeping things cool in summer. The main reason we like trees is because they are both beautiful and majestic. They connect us to the earth. The sentimental value of a special tree is simply immeasurable. Macklin Carlyle Gardner was born in Yakima on January 16, 1931, to Raymond L. Gardner and Louise Marie Offutt Gardner. Mack married JoAnn Marvin in 1951 in Carson City, Nevada. He served in the US Navy for four years and then settled in the valley. Mack worked with his father and then independently developing the thriving business of Gardner Nursery for 50 years from 1957 to 2007. Upon retirement, Mack generously donated the land at the corner of Washington and Twelfth Avenue for the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Library. He served as a diligent caring groundskeeper for the past ten years. Mack was a generous, devoted, and fun loving father who had a tremendous wit and sense of humor. He was preceded in death by his son Jeff. Mack is survived by his wife of 67 years, his son Boots and his daughter Lynne of Yakima, and his daughter Traci Caves of Anchorage, Alaska. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. Mack passed from this life under the watchful, loving eyes of his family on June 27, 2018. By his request, there will be no funeral services. He was a very tall tree who sheltered and protected his family. Many of us in the valley enjoy the fruits of his labors. Rest in the shade old friend. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Macklin Gardner, please visit our flower store.