Floyd Joseph Gardner

Floyd Joseph Gardner, passed away August 4, 2025 at the age of 88. He was born on August 5, 1937, on a farm near Festina, Iowa. Floyd was the youngest child of Clem and Bertha Gardner. Clem bought a farm three miles south of Ossian and Floyd attended school at St. Francis de Sales Catholic school in Ossian until he joined the Navy at age 17, serving most of his nearly 6 years in Japan and the Philippine Islands.

Floyd was successfully treated for Alcoholism in 1967 at the University of Iowa Alcoholism Treatment Center, Oakdale, IA. He returned there in 1968 to train as an alcoholism counselor, and again in 1972, as Associate Director of the treatment and training program.

Upon completion of the counselor training course, he worked at The Citizens Committee on Alcoholism in Cedar Rapids, first as Court Liaison Counselor and later as Assistant Director. While working there, Floyd met Laurel Wilson McGrath, then an alcoholism counselor-in-training at the Mental Health Institute, Independence, IA. Floyd and Laurel were united in marriage November 26, 1969, after Floyd was appointed Director of Waterloo’s Northeast Council on Alcoholism. He later became Iowa Director of United Real Estate, a company with a presence in nearly every state.

Laurel had four children from an earlier marriage, and their union did not produce additional family members. While living in Swisher, Floyd attended courses at Des Moines Area Community College to gain his license as a Nursing Home Administrator.

Floyd’s work caused the family to move often. They lived in Waterloo, IA; Swisher, IA; Newton, IA; Albuquerque, NM; Bondurant, IA and, in retirement years, Altoona, IA.

While living on an acreage near Newton, they enjoyed a large flower garden – filled mostly with native Iowa flowers. While living there, Laurel worked for DMACC as an instructor in the Nursing Home Administrators course. Floyd worked first at the Jasper County Care Facility and later worked at home writing a newsletter published nationwide, and presenting seminars across the country. In later years he worked as a City Administrator until retirement.

After retirement Floyd and Laurel bought a motor home which took them throughout the United States. The couple spent winters in the south. They found owning a motor expensive and sought work to offset the cost. Jobs included health screenings in big-box stores nation-wide, gate guards on pipeline and oil well drilling projects in Texas, and as archivist for North Dakota State Parks, to name a few. Both agreed that traveling in the motor home was the best years of their lives.

Laurel passed away at their home in Altoona November 16, 2024 with Floyd by her side. She was buried six days before the couple’s 55th wedding anniversary. Floyd continued to live in their Altoona condo until his death.

Floyd was preceded in death by his parents, Clem and Bertha; four siblings, Luella (Flaherty) of Decorah, IA; Robert, of Omaha, NE; Roger of Fayetteville, NC; Joan (Baker), of Cedar Rapids, IA; and his wife, Laurel. He is survived by brother Eugene of Altoona, IA and Sister Kathleen (George) of Plum City, WI, and Laurel’s four children, Amy (McGrath) Hilgemann of St. Louis, MO; Todd McGrath of Waterloo, IA; David McGrath of Bondurant, IA; and Hugh Gardner of Hastings, MN

Family will greet guests on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m., at Hamilton’s Altoona Funeral Home, 105 4th Street SW, Altoona, Iowa. A graveside service will then follow at 12:00 p.m., at Bondurant Cemetery, Bondurant, Iowa

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com

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