Lane Colin Gardinier
After nearly 4 years of living with cancer, Lane left his earthly body, on July 12, 2022, three days before his 53rd birthday. Lane was surrounded by family and friends.
Lane was born on July 15, 1969 in Mt. Vernon, WA and moved around the state during childhood, as his father worked for the WA State Patrol. After graduating from Kennewick High School in 1987, Lane was a licensed cosmetologist for a short time and worked in sales at Pacific Steel in Pasco, transferring to the Salt Lake City office in 1996. In 2000 Lane moved back to the PNW — Seattle and then Portland — before returning to Salt Lake City in 2003. In 2001, Lane lost the majority of his eye sight to a rare inflammatory disease, punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC), which prevented him from continuing in a field that required heavy computer usage. Lane used this as an opportunity to go back to school and pursue his true calling of helping others as a therapist, a career that he could excel at in spite of the disability. Lane earned his BA in Sociology in 2009 and Master of Social Work in 2014 at the University of Utah. Lane worked as a Therapist at Westminster College, The Utah Pride Center and most recently at Alliance Counseling. Lane was also a Disability Advisor at the U of U. Assisting students with disabilities was something Lane related to on a personal level. Lane was very passionate about helping those less fortunate than himself and served on the Board of Directors at Crossroads Urban Center since 2006. Crossroads offers an emergency food pantry, as well as clothing, shoes, and household essentials free of charge to those in need, where Lane spent many hours volunteering, making a difference in people's lives.
Lane has always loved animals, especially cats, and always had pets that were his “children.” In earlier years, Lane loved camping with friends and family, spending time on PNW beaches, snow skiing, and attending concerts. Meeting Aerosmith with Carla was a highlight! As a fan of the Utah Jazz, Lane enjoyed attending games with his best friend Jon. Lane had a gift of making people laugh with his quick wit, and quickly put people at ease with his engaging conversations and ability to truly listen. Lane was one of the most courageous, strong, positive, beautiful souls to walk Earth; an old soul, full of wisdom and compassion for all living things. The impact he had on the lives he touched is immeasurable, inspiring others to be the very best version of themselves. Lane was a remarkable person that will never be forgotten and will be deeply missed forever.
Lane leaves behind a large community of friends and family, including father Richard Gardinier, mother Nelda Daves-Smith, sister Carla Gardinier, nieces Taryn and Kaylin Harkness, and long-time friend Jon Blanch.
On Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 1:00pm, a beach side service will be held at Rosario Beach, Washington. Lane’s final wishes were to return to his birthplace and become one with his previously passed pets and the salt water.
Special thanks to Huntsman Cancer Institute for the amazing care Lane received over the past 4 years, to Hospice and good friend Charmaine Vinnedge who acted as Doula in the final days, and to Jon Blanch for his amazing support of Lane over the years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the causes that Lane was most passionate about; Crossroads Urban Center at www.crossroadsurbancenter.org and Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. www.blindcatrescue.com