Dr. Donald E. Gardner, 82 was born in 1931 in Council bluffs, Iowa. On October 3, 2014, he died peacefully at home in Savannah GA after a major illness. In between, he experienced far more joy than sorrow and made life better for those close to him and for multitudes he never met. His jovial nature made any room he was in brighter and filled with laughter; one could not miss the twinkle in his eye and his love for life.
On June 2, 1960, he married Elly Peter. Over the following 54 years, their four children, spouses, and grandchildren gave them great happiness. They are Stephanie and her husband Alexander Dochy and son Nicholas; Susan and her husband Samuel Chavez and children Devon and Elliot; Stephen and his wife Sabrina and their children Isabella, Peter, and Max; and Stuart. Although some of the children lived thousands of miles apart, their hearts were ever close as one family. Elly’s brother, Kaspar Peter, and his wife Barbara were an extended family. The entire family and many friends still reminisce about the jubilation at Don and Elly’s 50th wedding anniversary. What an experience to see lives well-lived. It was also an “experience” to see them perform the Chicken Dance.
Don’s family was his bedrock for all that he accomplished in his life. With his M.S. in microbiology, Don joined the United States Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps in 1960, serving at Ft. Detrick, MD and Dugway, UT. In 1964, he was assigned to EPA’s predecessor organization, eventually retiring from the PHS in 1982 after a stellar career. In 1971 he earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Health/Toxicology. He held increasingly responsible positions at EPA, culminating in Director of the Inhalation Toxicology Division. But this was just the “early phase”. He continued to work in research management at Northrup/Mantech until 1994, when he left to form a consultancy, Inhalation Toxicology Associates.
In the midst of so many achievements, choosing just a few to describe is difficult. In 1967, he was a coauthor of a seminal paper that enabled EPA to protect the health of millions of Americans. In 1971, EPA issued the first National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for Photochemical Oxidants, which were just being recognized as a real danger to public health, especially for vulnerable populations with preexisting lung disease. Don’s paper formed one of the major scientific foundations for this standard. Today, after much more extensive research, we know far more about the severe health hazard of ozone. Without Don’s research, countless individuals would have suffered. His over 250 scientific papers, book chapters, and reviews greatly expanded our understanding of the health risks of air pollutants.
During his time at EPA, Don’s scientific leadership built an internationally unique, multidisciplinary research group to solve scientific problems in air pollution, with a major emphasis on NAAQS pollutants, such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter. This group integrated human clinical and animal toxicology research on air pollutants. Never before had such an outstanding scientific team gained knowledge of the integrated impact of air pollutants on lung pathology, pulmonary function, host defenses, and lung biochemistry, with an understanding of the interspecies dosimetric relationships needed to extrapolate effects in animals to humans. Toxicology studies became far more interpretable in risk assessment by understanding the relationship of patterns of exposure in the laboratory to the real world. The unique research he led moved risk assessment, and ultimately risk management of inhaled chemicals, forward beyond an academic exercise so it could be used to protect public health.
Don served the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in several roles. The NAS was established by President Lincoln to provide scientific advice to the nation on matters of high importance. One of his many activities was to chair the panel that developed Acute Exposure Guideline Limits for airborne chemicals. These limits provide information to governments and private organizations about emergencies or other rare catastrophic exposures to over 300 chemicals. When, and if, emergencies occur, there is no time for study. There is a need for informed actions, which these exposure limits provide. His leadership and participation in many panels resulted in his receiving a very unusual award, Lifetime National Associate Member of the National Academy of Sciences, in “recognition as advisor to the Nation in matters of science, engineering and health”.
In 1988, Don became the founding editor of Inhalation Toxicology and just retired last month. It’s difficult enough to be an editor; to be a founding editor is arduous. He was a champion advocate for sound inhalation toxicology and dosimetry research. His stature and leadership in the field and his cajoling made the journal a great success. Originally, there were 4 issues per year; now 14 issues are published per year. Establishing a focal point for inhalation toxicology fostered moving the whole of the science forward, with exponential impact on improving health.
Don’s achievements have been officially recognized by many scientific bodies. They include EPA, the Academy of Toxicological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, Society of Toxicology, NASA, and the U. S. Public Health Service. Countless good friends and acquaintances recognize the role Don played in their lives. His leadership and advice helped so many become greater contributors to the public good. His friendship and mentorship changed the lives of those around him in both visible and invisible ways.
Now we bid farewell to dear Don. Those of us who knew you weep at our loss, laugh with our remembrances, and reflect deep within on how much you meant to us. You made the world a healthier place for all. You mattered. You loved and were loved. Many ask “What is the measure of a man?” Our answer is Don.