Edward G. Gardner was a humanitarian, a philanthropist, and a profitable businessman, who cherished the town of Chicago and Chicago cherished him in return. Edward Gardner handed away peacefully Monday March 20, 2023, surrounded by household, and family members. He was 98 years previous.
Ed Gardner was a well known and admired businessman. In 1964, he left a profession as a well-liked instructor and assistant principal to start out a haircare firm, Tender Sheen Merchandise, Inc. together with his spouse Bettiann. He typically acknowledged his main motive for establishing Tender Sheen Merchandise, Inc., was to create employment alternatives for younger Black and Brown women and men. In that very same spirit, he continued his dedication to help the livelihood {of professional} cosmetologists by guaranteeing that his hottest product system, Care Free Curl, was solely out there for buy and software by them. All through his possession of the corporate, he continued to supply unique merchandise for his beloved salon clients.From a younger age, his 4 youngsters, Gary, Terri, Man, and Tracy, alongside together with his spouse Bettiann, have been intricately concerned within the enterprise. Tender Sheen Merchandise, Inc.primarily based on Chicago’s South Facet, developed into one of many nation’s largest Black-owned companies.
“He was my father, my hero, my instructor. I seemed as much as him” Gary Gardner acknowledged on Wednesday. “I really feel blessed to have had Ed Gardner as my father. He was the embodiment of the hard-working, family-focused, accountable Black father. He taught me the worth of a robust work ethic. He bought up early within the morning, telling us “We’re not going to make it this fashion” which means let’s get to work. If he wasn’t at work, he was residence with household. For those who noticed Ed Gardner out after work or on weekends, he had us, his youngsters, in tow. Because the oldest, I feel I spent probably the most time with him as a toddler. He taught me to fish. He taught me to backyard. He taught me the right way to construct, how to sort things, the right way to drive, and the way to not drive. At twelve, he took me to work with him on Saturdays, the place I discovered to make hair merchandise. I used to be his assistant when he made product deliveries. He additionally taught me the right way to make errors. Most significantly, he taught me the right way to have interaction all folks with humanity and humility,” mentioned Gary Gardner.
New merchandise, new improvements and new concepts propelled Tender Sheen’s outstanding success, but, whereas keeping track of his enterprise, his coronary heart was at all times with the folks – particularly the youth.
Ed Gardner’s biggest contribution to the town he cherished was doing every thing he may to assist Chicago elect its first Black Mayor, Harold Washington, in 1983. He loaned his inventive workers, together with vital promoting {dollars}, to create the signature voter registration marketing campaign, “Come Alive October 5”.
Blitzing the town with banners, print and radio ads, the marketing campaign registered over 200,000 new voters and helped safe Harold Washington’s victory. In 1992, his in-house communication company, led by his daughter Terri, created a second extremely profitable voter registration marketing campaign in partnership with Venture Vote, led by Barack Obama.
In keeping with Terri Gardner, “One among my dad’s biggest qualities was his perseverance. He believed in himself and his means to not simply hope issues labored out, however to ensure issues labored out. It’s an entrepreneurial high quality that allowed him to create a enterprise regardless of the challenges of institutional and particular person racism. Sadly, these challenges by no means went away – – despite his large enterprise success.”
Dismayed by the extent of violence locally, within the Eighties he created the non- revenue group, Black On Black Love. He firmly believed selling self-love and self-respect may change hearts, and the group created No Crime Day to have a good time these ideas and promote peace. It expanded its choices to a myriad of social providers together with after-school packages and employment coaching. All through the a long time, Ed’s religion in God and humanity, and his perception within the energy of the written phrase to cease the violence, endured. In 2007, after 16-year-old Blair Holt was shot and killed whereas using the bus residence from college, Ed Gardner bought hundreds of {dollars} price of billboards with messages about Black-on- Black Love.
His and his spouse’s love of theater impressed him to re-create one among Chicago’s most historic leisure venues, the Regal Theater. The New Regal Theater introduced main acts like Gladys Knight and newcomers like Kanye West and Tyler Perry to audiences on the town’s South Facet. In 2000, Ed transformed an 84,600 sq. ft. warehouse at ninety fifth & Cottage Grove into Home of Kicks, a household leisure and academic complicated. With amusement rides, bowling, mini-golf and an interactive studying middle, the complicated boasted the one curler coaster in Chicago at the moment.
Within the Eighties, Ed and his spouse Bettiann turned co-owners of the Chicago Bulls basketball group, cementing their love for Chicago and its award-winning franchise. He served on the boards of Chicago United and The Chicago City League.
In September 2012, on the age of eighty-seven, Edward Gardner led over a thousand demonstrators protesting the dearth of Black employees on native development crews. Ed Gardner proudly walked arm-in-arm on the entrance of the road together with his long- time colleagues, Manford Byrd, Lerone Bennett and Timuel Black.
For greater than half a century, the household has shared their husband, father, father-in- legislation, uncle, grandfather, and great-grandfather proudly and unselfishly with the world. And now his work is completed; he belongs to the ages. He leaves a legend of affection and a strong life for the world to recollect. Phrases of remembrance and condolences are invited at Edward Gardner In Memoriam Fb Group web page https://www.fb.com/teams/3117330031746372A non-public household service is deliberate. In lieu of flowers, donations might be made to Chicago State College, https://www.csu.edu/basis/donate.htm
