David Graves Gardner, 72, of Conroe, Texas, passed away July 3, 2024 after a brave struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.  

David was born May 7, 1952 to Fletcher Max and Lillian Gardner in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He graduated from Myers Park High School in 1970 and completed his BS in Geology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.

He began his professional career as a development geologist working for Texaco, Inc. in Houston, Texas.  There he met his wife, Holly.  They were married in 1978 and soon moved to Denver, Colorado where they started a family.  In 1988, they moved back to Houston and David changed careers to environmental geology, working for Chevron as an Environmental Project Manager.  It was during this time that David earned a Master’s degree in hydrogeology from the University of Houston at Clear Lake.  After 28 years, David retired from Chevron in 2015.  

In addition to his duties at Chevron, David found many opportunities to benefit the communities in which he worked. This included the donation of reclaimed hazardous materials to a local fire department for training purposes, donating Chevron computers to local schools, building playgrounds, and improving roadways in the community.

David was an avid hobbyist.  As a child, his mother and grandmother took him mineral collecting in the mountains of North Carolina, digging for rubies and sapphires, thus sowing the seeds of a lifelong hobby.  His father owned a 1929 Ford Model A and a close neighbor owned Edsels.  Their influence helped establish his love for classic automobiles.  He was an active member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the International Edsel Club, the Edsel Owner’s Club, the Denver Gem and Mineral Society and the Houston Gem and Mineral Society. 

David is survived by his wife of 45 years, Holly, his daughters, Alison Luikens (Jonathan) and Catherine Gardner (Chris Zdenek), 4 grandchildren, Jackson, Jenna, Hallie and Harry and his brother, Thomas (Kay) Gardner. 

A donation can be made in his memory to the Houston Gem and Mineral Society Scholarship Fund, 10805 Brooklet Dr., Houston, TX  77099, attn. Treasurer.  Please put a memo on the check it is for the David Gardner Scholarship.