Carol Lee Gardner

Carol Lee Gardner passed away peacefully at home on Sept 10, 2026. She was born on June 18, 1937, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Francis Wallace Leavitt and Mary Euphrasia Nielsen.

Carol married Ivan Leonard Gardner, and together they raised four children. They later divorced. Carol worked at Continental Bank before becoming a full-time mother, dedicating herself to raising her family. She was a master at budgeting and was proud to teach her children those same skills. After her children were grown, she worked for her brother at Bench Products as an office manager – a job she truly loved.

Carol was fiercely independent with a curious and adventurous spirit which occasionally led to heart clutching moments for friends and family, followed by laughter and amazement. She enjoyed puzzles, sports, hiking adventures, and long walks. She taught and played volleyball, basketball, and softball for many years. One summer, she set herself a unique goal: she walked the equivalent distance from Salt Lake City to San Francisco by keeping track of the miles she walked along the Jordan River Parkway and plotting her progress on a map at home.

Carol was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved doing genealogy and especially cherished the time she spent serving as a temple worker in the Jordan River Temple.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Melvin, Lucky, Sunny, Ronald, Wayne, Clark, and Kay.

She is survived by her children, Trish (Steve), Jeff (Cheryl), Sande, and Brian; her brother Dick; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Carol will be remembered as a bright light to everyone who encountered her, as a protector of the weak, for her dedication to her family, her practical wisdom, her love of learning and adventure, and the many years she spent serving others.