Anne Larkin Gardner, 70, Worked as Hospital Nurse

Anne Larkin Gardner died on April 6 in Cleveland, Ohio, of complications from minor surgery. She was 70.

She was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and was graduated from Smith College in 1957. She later earned nursing degrees from the University of Rochester in 1960 and 1983. As a nurse she worked at the Boston City Hospital, Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., MacDonald House of University Hospitals of Cleveland, Home Health Care in Cleveland and, finally, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

She also volunteered at St. Luke's Hospital and at St. Paul's, where she became a Stephen Minister in 2005. She had completed the education for ministry course in 1994.

She resided in Boston, Rochester and Biloxi, Miss., before settling in Cleveland in 1964. She loved to sit and read The Plain Dealer and work its puzzles all morning long.

Mrs. Gardner had spent summers on the Vineyard annually since 1959. Here, she had many tennis buddies at the Vineyard Tennis Center and was active with the Martha's Vineyard Rod & Gun Club, where she shot skeet rather well. She enjoyed fishing, and her new son in law named her latest boat Queen Anne. She was more at home in the woods than doing paperwork and wielded a mean chain saw.

She stayed at the Gardner family house at the Head of the Lagoon before buying and refurbishing the one next door in 1995.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. John H. Gardner; two daughters, Elizabeth G. Milgram and her husband, Thomas B., of Hudson, Ohio, and Helen G. Kydd and her husband, Joel D., of Deer Isle, Me.; and was Grannie Annie to three Milgram grandchildren.

A service was held on Sunday, July 23, for the commendation and committal to the deep of the ashes. The service was conducted by the Rev. Robert D. Edmunds, rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Edgartown, and representatives from every branch of her extended family attended.