1922 – 2014

AUBURN — Dr. Camille “Doc” A. Gardner, VMD, 92, a resident of Main Street in Lewiston, passed away peacefully on Thursday morning, May 8, at the Hospice House, following a brief illness.

He was born in East Angus, Quebec, on March 5, 1922, a son of Adelard and Anna (Theriault) Gardner. He moved to Auburn at a young age, where he attended school and was a 1940 graduate of Edward Little High School. While at Edward Little, Camille was the recipient of the first Edward Little Alumni Scholarship and the Westinghouse Scholarship at the National 4-H Congress in Chicago in 1941.

He was prominent in 4-H Club activities at local and state levels. He attended two years at the University of Maine, before serving his country. He went on to become a commissioned officer as a second lieutenant at Yale University in 1944 and served two years during the China Burma campaign, where he served as a communication and radar officer. He separated from active duty in 1946. He served 10 years with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, with the rank of major.

Following the war, he continued his education; he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951 with a degree in veterinary medicine. He purchased the veterinary practice of Dr. Ed Moore in 1952 and practiced from this Lewiston office until the sale of his practice in 1984, followed by semi-retirement until 1988.

“Doc” was a member of the American Veterinary Association, past president of the Maine Veterinary Association, past president and longtime member of the YMCA board of directors and past president and 36-year member of the Auburn-Lewiston Kiwanis Club.

Doc was an avid fisherman and hunter, and an alpine skier as time permitted. He was co-founder, along with Otto Wallingford, of Lost Valley Ski Area and was active there until they sold it in 1988.

He married the former Pauline Harriman in 1948 and together they raised four children, Ann Gardner Brushwein, Nancy L. Smith and husband, Joe, Carlton Gardner and wife, Kim, and Patricia Gardner Morgan and husband, Kevin. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Sarah Gardner, Daniel Morgan, Laura Gardner and Caitlin and Shannon Morgan; and two sisters, Corinne Verreault and Alice Grover.

He was predeceased by his wife, Polly; his daughter, Ann; and his siblings, Martha, Madeliene, Laurete, Laurent, George, John, Reginald and Arsene.

Online condolences and sharing of memories may be expressed at www.lynchbrothers.com.