Eulogy Given By
( Doc Keltics M.C. K.N.A.F)
At Animals Funeral

The date, October 31, 2007. It was just some 10 weeks ago, I went to see my brother, and my friend. It had been six months since I had seen him last. And that was too long. As I approached his hospital room, I caught a glimpse of his real name, as it was written on the outside of his door, and it leaped out at me - Robert Gardner, and I had to pause for a moment and smile. Because to me, the Keltics, and to many of us here, we knew him simply as “Animal.”

Animal was the second President of the Keltics, and presided over the club from late 2002 to the end of 2003. And, it was during this time that I joined the Keltics, and it was Animal who first extended his hand to me, and invited me to become a hang around. Animal’s perseverance lead the Keltics through one of our club’s most difficult times. And, while the details of which I can not discuss here, guided us through a lot of tough decisions, and stood firm for what he believed in, despite tremendous conflict and turmoil. It was during his tenure that he fought for, and initiated, a complete rewriting of the Keltic Bylaws. He had the wisdom to recognize problems, and the courage to face them head on, and often times fought them alone. He had great vision for the future, and knew that the times were changing. And rather than resist it, he embraced it, and demanded that we make change so that we would be better prepared for the future. And let me say, to the Keltic members here today who did not know Animal, and to those of us that did, that we all owe him a great debt of gratitude, for we would not be what we are today if not for him. There was never any doubt where he stood on an issue, and he made sure you knew it. I found it rather curious, that he would often display anger towards those who took issue with what he felt was important. But you see, one can only be angry with those he respects, and Animal respected all of us. There was nothing gray about Animal. He was strictly black and white in more ways than one. And, I admired him for that.

If he was here with us today, he would poke his finger in your chest and tell you, this is not the time for us to grieve his death, but rather it’s a time to celebrate his life. It is the way he would have wanted it. You see, he wanted those around him to be happy. It is during times like these, that we owe it to him to remember how he made us laugh, how he inspired us through his courage to face death time and time again, and to somehow rise above it; to the amazement of us all. This is not the moment for us to shed our tears, but rather to be thankful that we were given the chance to have known him. And to you my brother let me say, that I marvel at your will, and I celebrate your strength. And we are all grateful for your courage, your inspiration, and your leadership.

And to his wife Susie, let me say that it was his marriage to you that gave his life great meaning. He loved you dearly, and he was forever grateful for your support. He often told us that.

We share her grief today. But we also share her pride. They say that the measure of a man is not in the size of his stature, but in the quality of his character. And so I ask, what greater measure of a man’s character than one who forever puts aside his own pain and suffering, and is still able to reach out to all those around him with both his hand, and his heart, in laughter and in friendship. That, my friends is character, and that, was Animal.

In my own personal life experience, I have discovered one rather, strange fact about Death. And that is, that no matter ones’ age or circumstance, Death always seems to arrive too soon. And, to our brother, and to our friend: Robert “Animal” Gardner, you also, have left us too soon.