Larry Haywood Gardner, 84, of Leawood, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Born on November 14, 1941, in Williamston, North Carolina, to Haywood and Frances Gardner, he grew up in his hometown and graduated from Williamston High School.
Larry served in the United States Air Force as a flight simulator specialist on the KC-135 tanker plane. He continued his service to the country as a civilian Program Analyst at the Pentagon. He took great pleasure in singing Johnny Cash songs, enjoying Miller Lite and Southern Comfort, golfing, and the occasional cigar. He met and married Alice Culbreth, and together they raised three children. Larry cherished traveling with his family and attending his grandchildren’s sporting events.
He is survived by his children, Chris (Janice) Gardner, Kathryn (Jim) Jordan-Hyde, and Wes (Danielle) Gardner, as well as his long-time partner Pam Coerse. He is also survived by his eleven grandchildren, Christopher, Andrew, Haley, Ben, Connor, Kirsten, Colbie, Brody, Hadley, Ellie, and Gavin, and four great-grandchildren, Ava, Annabel, Macey, and Blakelyn.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Haywood and Frances Gardner, his ex-wife Alice, and his sister Dale and her husband Charles.
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