Suffolk – Cephus Luke Gardner, Jr., 85, passed away October 28, 2017 at Southampton Memorial Hospital. Mr. Gardner was the son of the late Cephus Luke Gardner and Mary Joyner Gardner and was also predeceased by sisters, Ida Lee Odom and Rachel Harrell. He was a 1949 graduate of Holland High School, a retired US Coast Guard Veteran and had retired from A & P Grocery Stores after 43 years of service. Luke was a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church and the Holy Neck Ruritan Club.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 57 years Faye Weeks Gardner, five daughters, Sandra Turner and husband Eddie of Franklin, Twyla Duke and husband Lee of Conway, NC ,Wendy Mears and husband Danny of Suffolk, Kimberly Petrasek and husband Randy of Franklin and Shana Martin and husband Grady of Conway, NC, four sisters, Mary Hawes and husband Ed of NY, Amy Tucker of FL, Bernice Sedberry of Portsmouth and Brenda Dilday and husband Joe of Ahoskie, NC, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 11AM Thursday November 2, 2017 at Hillcrest Baptist Church with the Rev. Ricky Garza and the Rev. Doug Gibson officiating. The burial will follow at Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8PM Wednesday at Wright Funeral Home, Franklin and suggests that memorial donations be made to Hillcrest Baptist Church. www.wrightfuneralhome.org