84 Lumber executive perishes in boating accident

Joe Gardiner, 84 Lumber VP national sales, lost his life in a boating accident Saturday, July 7. He was 43 years old.

Gardiner joined 84 Lumber as an area manager in 2001, and moved to the national sales team in 2006. He was named VP national sales in 2010, where he oversaw the company’s sales and service initiatives with large national and regional builders.

Gardiner was also an avid boater, having grown up working in family-owned marinas in the Ocean City, Md., area from a young age.

“Joe was not only a valued and trusted associate but a friend and dedicated family man,” said 84 Lumber president and owner Maggie Hardy Magerko. “He was a genuinely wonderful person, a true example of how to balance work and family and was highly respected by co-workers, customers and competitors. We will miss Joe deeply.”

Joe is survived by his wife of 20 years, Susan, and daughters Meagan, 15, and Mallory, 13.