William "Bill" Gardner

William (“Bill”) Palmer Gardner was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on January 20, 1953 to James Hamilton Gardner and MaryAnn Palmer Gardner. On November 25, 2024, Bill died peacefully at home in Ottawa, held in the loving embraces of his wife and children. He was 71 and death was the culmination of a prolonged struggle with cancer at the root of his tongue. He is survived by his beloved wife, Kathleen (Kathi) Pajer, MD, and five children he deeply loved: Jeffrey Gardner (Chicago, IL), Karen Gardner (Pittsburgh, PA), Ian Pajer-Rogers (Pittsburgh, PA), Erik Pajer-Rogers (Pittsburgh, PA), and Cullen Pajer-Rogers (Columbus, OH), and his loving sister, Amy Prutch (Vancouver, WA). In addition to three children-in-law, Stephen Tremaine, Betsey Palmer and Brooce Zebrun, Bill was blessed with two granddaughters: June and Ellis Gardner Tremaine. He was preceded in death by his parents and dear brother, Robert Gardner. He was a Christian and a parishioner at Anglican Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa.

Bill was devoted to serving others through research and at home. He found great pleasure in cooking for his family and friends and was a lifelong teacher (and learner). He wrote extensively about cancer, life and faith in his blog,  "I Have Serious News" https://billgardner.substack.com/ (note: you do not have to subscribe) which impacted many people. 

Bill's family was from Utah, which he regarded as a second home. Thanks to his parents’ frugality, values, and love, Bill was able to graduate from Phillips Academy Andover and Harvard College. Upon graduation, he worked at treatment centres for severely mentally ill children and adolescents in Massachusetts and Utah. In 1985, he earned a PhD in child psychology and an MS in mathematical statistics from the University of Utah. 

Bill’s research career was devoted to improving the child and youth mental health care systems in the US and Canada. Beginning with a faculty appointment in Psychology at the University of Virginia, Bill next joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he was faculty in Psychiatry and Medicine for thirteen years before taking on new opportunities at The Ohio State University College of Medicine as a Professor of Pediatrics. In 2011, Bill and Kathi were recruited to Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which they loved. In 2014, they moved to the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine as Bill became Senior Research Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the CHEO Research Institute. Bill continued to conduct research throughout his illness, only recently retiring. He became a naturalized citizen because he shared the Canadian commitment to universal health care. Throughout his career, Bill felt fortunate to spend his time in work that he loved, searching for ways to provide high quality, equitable mental health care for children and youth. In the spring, Bill was honoured by the CHEO Research Institute and university with the establishment of the William Gardner Senior Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Despite describing himself as a “mediocre athlete,” Bill regularly placed in distance running, cycling, and triathlon. He loved outdoor sports, and pursued ski mountaineering, rock climbing, and desert backpacking in Utah and sea kayaking in Nova Scotia. Bill also earned a black belt in Ying Zhao Pa (Eagle Claw) Kung Fu in 2000, a traditional Chinese martial art. He and Kathi loved to travel and spent much time visiting European churches and museums and taking cooking classes. 

Bill was profoundly grateful for the care he received from The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) Cancer Centre – General Campus and the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre, the TOH Support and Palliative Care Team, and the in-home hospice care from the Community Palliative Medicine Associates, St. Elizabeth's Home Care, and the Community Nursing Registry of Ottawa. 

Bill was deeply happy in the last few years of his life, despite cancer. He loved his wife, children, job, and the outdoors. He had many lifelong friendships. Bill's life ended in hope that he'd played a small part in helping others share in these joys and that his work would be continued.

A funeral for Bill will be held on Monday, December 2, 2024, at 11 AM at Christ Church Cathedral, 414 Sparks St., Ottawa. The family welcomes friends and colleagues to join them in a Celebration of Life luncheon in the church hall immediately after the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the William Gardner Senior Chair in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which will enable child and youth mental health care system improvement research tocontinue.  https://cheofoundation.donordrive.com/campaign/Dr--William-Gardner-s-Legacy