Reverend William P. Gardner was born again to eternal life after a brief illness on April 26, 2010 at Virtua Memorial Hospital – Mt. Holly.

He was a priest of the Diocese of Trenton and a Chaplain in the United States Army.

Father Gardner served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Peter Church in New Brunswick, the Parish of Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret in Spring Lake and, for the last sixteen years of his priestly ministry, at the Church of Saint Joseph in Toms River. He was administrator of Saint Joseph Church in Beverly in 2007. As an Army chaplain he served four overseas tours in Germany and Korea and was stationed at San Antonio Medical center and Fort Hood in Texas and at Fort Bragg NC and Fort Jackson sc. He retired from the Army in 1992 and from active priestly ministry as a Senior Priest in 2007. He resided since then in Columbus.

Father Gardner was born on May 30, 1936 in Chicago and moved to New Jersey at age seven. He attended Saint Michael School, Hopewell, Saint Charles College, Catonsville MD and Saint Mary Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Trenton in 1962 by Bishop George W. Ahr

Well known for his great sense of humor, he was a history buff, an opera lover, and a sports enthusiast, especially horse racing, being an annual attendee at the Triple Crown events of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. A ten-year veteran of the Derby, his funeral will ironically be held on Derby Day. His love for animals extended especially to his beloved Siamese cats.

Father Gardner was pre-deceased by his parents Marguerite C. Ormandy Gardner and William B. Gardner and his brother Robert J. Gardner. He is survived by his sisters Ann Hannawacker and Sister Mary Anne Gardner, MPF, brother-in-law, Deacon Joseph Hannawacker, nieces and nephew Mary Margaret Hannawacker, Ann-Marie Hannawacker and husband Brian Morrow, and Joseph Hannawacker, Jr. and fiancé Elizabeth Clarkson, great niece and nephew Emma and Jace Morrow, his brother priests of the Diocese of Trenton, and the parish family of Saint Joseph, especially Doris, Tom, Alison (Burley), Ellen (Reilly), Susan and Katelyn Briant.

Rite of the Reception of the Body will be held at the Church of Saint Joseph, Toms River, NJ at 6:00 PM on Friday, April 30. The Mass of Christ the High Priest will be celebrated at 8:00 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 AM in the Church of Saint Joseph on Saturday, May 1, preceded by viewing from 9:00 AM. Interment will follow in his family plot in the Diocesan Cemetery of Saint Mary in Hamilton NJ.

Arrangements under the direction of the M. William Murphy Funeral Home, 935 Parkway Ave., Ewing, NJ 08618. Visit www.murphyfh.com.

Memorial donation may be made to the Religious Teachers Filippini Infirmary Fund, 455 Western Avenue, Morristown NJ 07960, or Mass intentions at the Church of Saint Joseph, 685 Hooper Avenue, Toms River NJ 08754.