HOBE SOUND, Fla. — Edmund S. Gardner Jr. passed away peacefully Friday, Feb. 9, at his home, with his loving wife, Lisa Gardner, by his side, after a long battle with ALS.

He was born July 2, 1937, to Edmund Sr. and Agnes Gardner, in Sabattus. He attended schools in Sabattus and graduated high school in 1955. He then joined the Marine Corps Reserve for two years and then proudly transferred into the U.S. Navy for four years, serving on a destroyer ship out of Newport, R.I.

He then returned to civilian life and worked for Bell Telephone in New Jersey and eventually came back to Maine to start his family. In 1963, he started his lifelong company, Ed Gardner Construction, of Lewiston and Sabattus. He grew the excavation and trucking company to several gravel pits and provided a great company for his employees. Ed was the president of the Lewiston/Auburn Contractors Group in the 1970s.

He loved his family and friends, bowling, roller skating, working outdoors, animals of all types, and was a restorer and collector of classic cars. His love of serving in the Navy led him to be an avid boater. He and his family spent most weekends touring the coast of Maine by boat, where he loved being the most.

After retiring and selling his company, he moved to Portland, where he bought, renovated and sold investment properties. He then moved to Falmouth, where he met the love of his life, Lisa.

His love of helping others extended far and wide, always there if someone needed support or an extra hand. His acts of kindness afforded him a large circle of friends and family who were very fond of him and his witty sense of humor, youthfulness and his sensibility.

After marrying Lisa, he moved to Hobe Sound, Fla., where he continued to enjoy boating, golf and buying and selling classic cars.

He was predeceased by his sister, Connie Falls; and son, Joseph V. Gardner.

He will be greatly missed and survived by his devoted and loving wife, Lisa (and their pets); daughter, Cynthia Morin, of Pownal; sons, Edmund Gardner III of Portland and Eric Gardner of Auburn; his loving sister, Colleen DeHayes, of Mechanic Falls; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; two nieces and four nephews.

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

Edmund S. Gardner Jr.