17 Comments

Along with many others who knew Bill (virtually, professionally and personally), I send my sympathy and prayers to all Bill's family. I grieve for our loss but I am also grateful that the burden and pain of his physical body has been released; he's been ready for awhile!

Thank you for sharing the news with Bill's Substack circle. I began to read and respond to Bill's insightful posts nearly a year ago after reading his article "Eucharist, Cancer, Love" in COMMENT magazine. He seemed like such an amazing person, I just had to sign up for more! His writings touched, encouraged, challenged and taught me so much. I deeply appreciate how his Christian faith was interwoven with all aspects of his life, including the difficult journey with cancer and medical ethics. It was my privilege to pray for him and I have been blessed by him. Thanks be to God for the life of Dr Bill Gardner, good and faithful servant.

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Thank you for sharing this news and the lovely obituary with all of us who followed Bill's writing here. I commented a few weeks ago on his blog that his writing shifted my views on dying in ways that feel like profound internal growth. Thank you to all his family for sharing him with us. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

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Thank you for sharing this news. I deeply appreciated Bill's courage and reflections here and will miss his voice in my inbox. My condolences to all who knew him. Rest in peace.

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May his memory be a blessing.

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Rest in Peace, Bill. Thanks to you and your family for your courageous commitment to personal service that brought us insight from a deeply internal place. You will forever be an inspiration to me: how to appreciate the miracles all around us, and how to live more fully, alongside inevitable suffering, with faith and joy.

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My deepest condolences to Kathi, Jeffrey, and Karen. I’ll treasure my memories of Bill…celebrating a paper we’d published, posing in front of the statue of Buddy Holly in Lubbock, or sharing Thanksgiving dinner at one another’s home. Bill was brilliant, had a wide ranging intellect, but also had a great sense of humor. Our last time together was at a meeting in Atlanta, and we took a long walk where we shared thoughts on getting older and “life its own self.” Bill always made me dig deeper and be more generous. One of a kind. RIP, friend.

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Deepest condolences. He shared his story with extraordinary courage, grace and faith.

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Thank you, Jeffrey and Karen, for sharing this sad news, and for the lovely tribute to your father. I started reading your dad's Substack about a year and a half ago. I appreciated his thoughtfulness, his unflinching honesty, and his determination to hold on to hope. May he rest in peace.

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Bill's writing had a profound impact on my spiritual life - framing the way I saw death. His literary and art knowledge was impressive and added so much to his already powerful words. I will be praying for your whole family.

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He gave a wonderful gift in open conversation about life and death. ♥️

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My sincerest condolences. I’m having my own journey with cancer (stage 1) and Bill’s chronicles of his illness have been poignant. I hope for a soft healing for his family. He was an incredible person and gave much to humanity. The world lost a good one. My deepest sympathies to Kathy. I’m sorry she is no longer on Fb and I miss following her and I wish her all the best.

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RIP, Bill. You were a great man and I feel blessed to have been your friend. I hope that you are now with God.

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I consider myself lucky to have met Bill and have been inspired and awed by him. I will never have his grace but I can strive. May his memory be a blessing.

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Feels sorry to learn about this. It is my privilege to work with him and learn about how to do research on mental health care. It was a pity that I did not have the chance to meet him in person. My condolences to you all. May he rest in peace.

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My thoughts are with all of you. I am sure he will be missed and I hope that those left behind will find comfort in his memories. The vulnerability and honesty with which he wrote was an inspiration to many. Much love

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I had the opportunity to meet Bill in person last fall and have followed his journey here, through his writing, since. I've been - and remain - incredibly grateful for his willingness to share this journey with us. My prayers and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends.

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