Herbert Gardner Obituary Gardner, Herbert C. "Bert" Age 71, of Medina, MN died peacefully at home, his loving family at his side, Nov 19. Bert is survived by his wife Elizabeth Goodman ("Betty"), son Herbert Peter Gardner and Peter's wife Elizabeth Nelson Gardner ("Liz"). Predeceased by his parents, Stella Alice Marchetti Gardner and Maynard Fairbanks Gardner, he also is survived by his sister, Diane Gardner Bolton (Charles) and her 7 children. Two sisters-in-law, Christine Goodman Redman and Amy May Goodman, and their 4 children additionally survive. Born Sept 11, 1940 in Springfield MA, Bert was the son of a traveling salesman who took his family along via a travel trailer that would be stationed in roadside campgrounds. By age 16, he had lived in 47 different states. His frequently changing neighbors, who were similar travelers and sometimes carnival people, gave Bert an unusual start in life and contributed to his colorful personality, his creativity, his appreciation and value of a wide variety of people as well as his love of adventure, travel and the open road. Bert had paradoxical aspects to his personality. Both sides of his brain engaged, he was simultaneously creative and analytical. He wrote about his experiences, always carrying a journal. As a boy, he fashioned a radio from an oatmeal box and wire, and a love of storytelling blossomed as he enjoyed the early radio shows. His early creativity endured, as every Christmas those fortunate shared Bert and Betty's Christmas greeting-an original story written and recorded by Bert for the joy of the holiday. Each story featured characters, eventually loveable, who had been developed from those around him, those whom he loved. He made his living as a creative talent in the advertising industry, but his creativity also was abundantly displayed in his transformations of his environments from remodeling his own home to restoring an antique Finnish sauna at the Goodman family cabin in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. At the same time, his left brain never backed down from a challenge. Endlessly curious, he delighted in figuring out how things work, fixing everything from motorcycles to washing machines and devising ingenious solutions to everyday problems. His tall stature and guy activities like motorcycling, wrestling and hunting were at odds with the fact that he also was a hopeless romantic, teased for his appreciation of chick-flick movies and women's fashion and never failing to write heartfelt notes to family members in recognition of special events. Bert was not shy in expressing his thoughts. He humorously wrote "Unless I'm talking to the police, I tell it like it is." Always authentic and honest, his passionate words would delight some and at times offend the faint-hearted. He was smart, witty and extraordinarily well read. Uppermost in his life was his family. On September 24, 1977, Bert married Elizabeth Goodman forming, with her, the team of Bert and Betty. Throughout their 34-year marriage, they built their careers, traveled to exotic spots, remodeled their homes including their current dearly-loved horse farm, nurtured their animals, and laughed, deliberated and loved. After the deaths of Betty's sisters' husbands, Bert became the patriarch of the Goodman family, looking after the family's UP cabin, keeping an eye on Betty's mother and sisters, officiating at nephews' marriages and, in 1998, taking Betty's aged mother on her first trip to Finland to visit relatives. His beloved son, Peter, inherited many of Bert's talents and passions. The two were often together, building boats and forts in Peter's childhood and later wrenching on motorcycles in the garage and formulating solutions to any challenges that came along. On September 24, 2010, Bert officially married Peter and Liz. Bert's career in advertising spanned decades beginning with BBDO in New York, later moving to Leo Burnett in Chicago. Even in his early years, he created memorable campaigns such as the "Man from Glad." After taking time to earn an MA in English and pursue doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, adding to his BAs in journalism and creative writing from the University of Missouri, he retuned to advertising in 1977 at the Minneapolis office of Bozell Worldwide, and retired in 1995 as Creative Managing Partner and Executive Creative Director. His intelligent, persuasive writing brought him many awards such as a Clio for his TV campaign for Tony's Pizza and two Lions from the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France including a Lion d'Or, the highest award given, for his campaign for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. The taglines he wrote survive today, his most famous being "Pork, the Other White Meat." Although brilliantly creative and powerfully expressive, he modestly would attribute his success to hard work and fortunate timing. In fact, although his advertising accomplishments were celebrated by many, Bert never spoke of them and his awards lived in a box in the attic. He would describe his achievements more in terms of teaching and opening doors for others and perhaps his greatest contribution to advertising was his mentoring of the ad world's rising creative stars. He taught his staff to concentrate until the work was great-even if the product was a simple coupon ad. It was this style that won over Lee Iacocca and brought to Minneapolis the entire Chrysler-Plymouth account. Bert enjoyed 16 years of active retirement during which he nurtured his passions. His favorite hobby, motorcycling, began at a young age with motocross and enduro bikes. He instilled this passion in Peter who, as a kid, traveled across America on the back of his dad's bike. Bert and Betty rode throughout the US and Canada and, in celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary, through the Alps. Dual sport bike riding with friends and Peter took him to Wisconsin and the UP as well as far-flung places like Inuvik and Copper Canyon, Mexico. An active member of the Takedown Club, the booster club of Univ. of MN Wrestling Team, he enthusiastically traveled to tournaments with his friends George and Tom. Early, he played a role in the inception of the U's Wrestling Endowment Scholarship Fund. He saw the sport of wrestling as promoting no pretense, and he honored wrestlers by aiding in their academic as well as athletic lives. Yearly, he journeyed to Tailfeathers, his hunting property in Winner SD, not just for the pheasant but for the camaraderie. Bent over the maintenance or cooking tasks with his friends or fishing at Savant Lake in Canada, he developed fast friendships. He also frequently sailed with his friend George in the Caribbean and, most every summer Saturday, attended an informal gathering of friends at Lake Minnewashta. At home, he devoted time to studying bird habits. Very early mornings always found Bert, seated in his favorite chair, watching his many bird feeders, nursing a thermos of coffee and reading from a book grabbed from a library used book sale, a bargain counter or his collection of fine classics. He loved reading, seizing every opportunity to discover his next book or to discuss his latest read. He also found fulfillment in retirement by creating stories, working as a commercial voice talent and donating his time to Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network where, nearly every Friday, he recorded for the blind a wide range of books from the witty Jimi Hendrix Turns 80 to the sweet Dog Days. Bert leaves a huge hole in the lives he touched and is dearly missed by his family and friends who remember him for his adventurous spirit, his bear-like energy, his way with words, his candor and his pithy wisdom. A celebration of life will be held at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 3675 Arboretum Blvd, Chaska, at 10 am on Friday, December 9. In lieu of flowers, it was Bert's wish that memorials go to the University of Minnesota Wrestling Endowment Scholarship Fund, Mary Christensen-White, Univ of MN Intercollegiate Athletics, 240 BFAB, 516 15th Ave SE, Mpls., MN 55455. Finally, the family wishes to thank the loving caregivers Bert was fortunate to meet in his final days.