Daniel M. Gardner

We are sad to announce the passing of our beloved son and brother, Daniel M. Gardner, aged 44, of Brevard, NC, on November 16, 2025.

Daniel was a 1999 graduate of Decatur High School in Decatur, GA, and an almost-graduate of the University of Georgia (after 7 semesters, he decided he had “learned everything he wanted to learn” from college). Known as “Danny G” by his music-scene friends, Daniel was eager to get to work in the field of audio technology and was a self-taught sound technician, as well as guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter.

In 2019, Daniel moved to Brevard, NC, where his parents had relocated. He began working as an assistant to a self-employed contractor and added basic skills in plumbing, electrical systems, masonry, and carpentry to his list of talents. He became known as “the guy who could fix anything.” He worked at the Brevard Music Center in maintenance but quickly demonstrated his expertise in audio and went on to help set up and work with the sound system for many of the performances there.

Daniel had a uniquely brilliant and clever mind which enabled him to discuss a wide range of topics and theories among a varied group of people. He also was a voracious reader and a creative writer.

But most of all, Daniel was loved by so many people, in so many places. He was funny but philosophical, sarcastic yet accepting of others, and his household cleaning ability far exceeded that of his mother and stepfather. While Daniel never followed his parents’ interest in religion and “church-y” matters, he grew to accept a concept of a loving God through his years in A.A., through his reading and, maybe, through “osmosis” from his connections to his four parents.

Daniel is survived by his mother, Jacqueline Jenkins, and stepfather, Bobby King of Brevard and by his father, Mark L. Gardner and stepmother, Sarah Gardner, of Demorest, GA. He is also survived by his sister, Ashlee Gardner, and brother-in-law, Jim Peliksza, of Atlanta, GA.

A service to honor Daniel will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 22 Fisher Road, Brevard, NC, with Rev. Ken Albright officiating. The service will be followed by a reception where friends can share memories of Daniel. Later, in 2026, there will be a service in Atlanta/Decatur, GA, where Daniel grew up. The date and location are to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The Cedar Mountain Canteen (10771 Greenville Hwy., Cedar Mountain, NC 28718) to support the Community Supported Arts Program and completion of the Listening Room (named in honor of Daniel), or to TC Strong (237 Eagle Point Dr., Brevard, NC, 28712), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing among youth in Transylvania County, NC.

Moore-Blanchard Funerals & Cremations are honored to serve the family of Daniel Gardner.