Charles Vaness Gardner was born on Friday, November 29, 1935, in Waterloo, Iowa. He passed peacefully from this life in the arms of his adoring wife on November 30, 2023, at age 88 years and one day. He was the first child born to Ray Rufus and Geraldine Lucille (Bakeman) Gardner. He was later joined by sister, Caryl Virginia, and brother, Kenneth Roy. Chuck graduated from East Waterloo High School in 1953 and attended Northern Iowa University. He began playing piano at age 8 and won several classical piano competitions, but chord structures and harmonies fascinated him. He had an insatiable curiosity about improvisation - he was a born jazz performer. By age 15 he was performing with the Vance Dixon Orchestra, playing all the great ballrooms in eastern Iowa. He married Marilyn J. Philp in 1955. When he learned that his draft number was coming up in January of 1958, he went to the US Navy recruiting office to join up. When he arrived the office was closed for lunch, however, the US Air Force recruiting office across the hall was open, so he decided to join the Air Force. Following a rigorous audition at Offutt AFB in Omaha, NE as a percussionist (the Air Force did not have a piano career field at that time), he was inducted into the US Air Force. His first assignment was to Amarillo, TX. His son, Michael Vaness, was born there in April of 1960. That fall Chuck received orders to the Band of the Pacific at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. Henry Mancini was in Hawaii to write the score for the movie "Donovan's Reef". He and Chuck met, became friends, and over the next three years, Hank Mancini would come to the base and give Chuck lessons in music composition. While there, the band traveled to many locations and played a standing-room only show in Australia. In 1963 Chuck went to Hamilton AFB in CA and shortly thereafter was accepted into the NORAD band, based in Colorado Springs, CO. This was a prestigious group of 120 musicians from the US Army, Navy and Air Force bands and the Canadian Armed Forces bands. They performed in Carnegie Hall and on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. In 1966 Chuck joined the US Air Force Academy Band. This organization was the pride of the US Air Force and accepted only the very best musicians following rigorous auditions. Within this 120-member organization, he held several positions including Head Arranger, leader of the renowned 18-piece jazz/rock band, The Falconaires, and NCOIC of the Moods in Blue. He worked and recorded with such artists as Rosemary Clooney, Mel Torme, Bob and Dolores Hope, and Vic Damone, to name just a few.
In 1978 he married the love of his life, Sandy Maxwell Whyte, a vocalist he met at the Air Force Academy Officers Club when he filled in as pianist. Their true love story spanned 46 years, four months and 15 days. At Chuck's suggestion Sandy took up bass guitar and after Chuck's retirement from the Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant n 1980, they lived and performed in San Antonio, TX, Las Vegas, NV, Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, and Medford, NJ, returning to Sandy's hometown of Tulsa first in 1993 and again in 2002. Chuck became very involved with the Tulsa Jazz Society and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 2013. He wrote all of the arrangements for most of the shows performed at the Greenwood Cultural Center under the direction of Chuck Cissel, including the Cole Porter show which featured over 15 vocalists. Chuck performed with every jazz musician and vocalist in Tulsa at one time or another and was admired and loved by all.
Chuck was predeceased by his mother and father, our beloved sister-in-law, Carol Gardner, brother-in-law, Vern Reiter, and sweet Cavalier, Chester. He is survived by his loving wife, Sandy Gardner of Broken Arrow, OK, his son, Michael Gardner and partner Leslie Pickell of Benton Harbor, MI, his sister, Caryl Reiter of Waterloo, IA, his brother, Ken Gardner, of Omaha, NE, brother-in-law Dennis Maxwell (Carolyn) of Yukon, OK, sisters-in-law Debbie Bruns (John) of Floyds Knobs, IN and Sherrelle Ballone (Toran) of Tulsa, OK, his son's mother, Marilyn Gardner of Melbourne, FL, and many nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank Dr. Arvil Lade, Dr. Brent Dennis, and the caring staff at Trinity Woods and Season's Hospice for their loving care.
Donations can be made to Trinity Wood for the Good Samaritan Fund, the mailing address is 4134 E. 31st St., Tulsa, OK 74135.

Funeral Service will be 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at Joy Lutheran Church, 9940 S. Yale, Tulsa, OK 74137. Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233