Rodney W. Gartner, 88, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, died of natural causes on July 20th at Heritage Valley Hospital in Beaver, PA. He was born November 19, 1929 in Buffalo, NY, son of Dr. Albert A. Gartner and Edna (Clark) Gartner. He lived in Western Pennsylvania for almost 50 years, most recently at the Masonic Village at Sewickley prior to which he lived in Moon Township, PA, Lima, OH and Buffalo, NY.
He was Vice President of Engineering Product Development at the Technical Center of the H.H. Robertson Co. in Ambridge. Mr. Gartner graduated from Nichols School in Buffalo and received a BS in Civil Engineering from Union College, Schenectady, NY and an MS in Engineering from Harvard University. He became a Lieutenant in the Civil Engineering Corps of the US Navy during the Korean Conflict before beginning his career as a Civil Engineer for the Fenestra Corporation in Buffalo.
He was active in many community organizations having served on boards of the Coraopolis and Western Area YMCAs, the Valley Care Association, as President of the Moon Area School Board, Secretary of the Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE), and as a Commissioner on the Aleppo Township Board of Commissioners (2010-2015). He was also a Elder at Sharon Community Presbyterian Church,a founding member of the Moon Area Excellence in Education Fund, Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and Auditor of Moon Township. More recently Mr. Gartner was a member of the Sewickley Presbyterian Church, A committeeman for the Republican Party of Allegheny County, a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and a member of the SENIOR Men’s Club.
In his spare time he enjoyed tennis, sailing, genealogy, his home workshop and spending time with his four children, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 61 years Elinor O. Gartner (Lannie) (married August 3, 1957) at Holloway Memorial Chapel, Fort Erie, Ontario, daughters Margaret Clark Gartner of New York State, Ellen Osborn Kerr (Jim) of New York State, Virginia Gartner Lamison (Mark) of Pennsylvania, and a son Bruce Warren Gartner of Maryland as well as grandchildren, Ryan (Debbie) and Kyle (Alexandra) Pixton; Colin and Hayley Kerr; Owen, Emmett and Elias Gartner; Krista, Riley and Connor Lamison; and great grandchildren Sarah and Theo Pixton. A memorial service wil be held on Monday August 6, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the Sewickley Presbyterian Church.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the Sewickley Presbyterian Church or the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, NY.
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