Hairstylist, wife, mother touched many in short life

Published 9:11 pm Saturday, June 28, 2008

Clients who wanted Erica Gardner, 23, to style their hair booked an appointment well in advance.

She was such a wonderful stylist that customers, who often became friends, could rarely get in to see her.

Gardner adored her family, her friends, her animals and her work. Her unexpected death 20 days after her son was born rocked all who knew her.

She felt ill during the night of April 19, was taken to the hospital, and died the next morning.

Gardner was born April 21, 1984, in Everett. She graduated from Marysville-Pilchuck High School, Everett Community College and Everett Beauty School.

On Oct. 10, 2005, she married Kevin Gardner and became stepmother to his daughter, Kaylee, now 10. Rowynn Marie was born Aug. 11, 2005, and Logan Alexander was born April 1, 2008.

She is survived by her husband and children; her parents, Rod and Kim Stults; her sister, Jackie Stults; grandparents Dianne Holt and William and Judy McNall; great-grandmother Grace McNall; great-grandfather Roy Dalton; and her mother- and father-in-law, Velna and Dale Gardner, plus a large extended family.

Debbi Cave wasn’t a particularly popular student in elementary school, but Erica Gardner befriended her and stood by her side.

“I didn’t want her to lose her other friends because of me,” Cave said. “She sat me down and basically told me that she was my friend because she liked me and that what other people thought didn’t matter to her at all.”

The impact of Gardner’s life on the Marysville community has been extensive and wonderful, said her mother, Kim Stults.

“The reality that life can truly be changed in a breath has caused many who knew her to pause and consider the meaning of their existence, their relationships, their priorities,” Stults said. “For many who knew Erica, her passing has caused relationships to heal and priorities to be adjusted to what is truly important in this life.”

Stults said her daughter was unassuming, did not boast of her abilities, was accepting of others and kind to all.

Gardner died one day before her 24th birthday. Her family had planned a birthday brunch at her parents’ home. The table was set with the good dishes, the birthday card was signed, and her parents were excited about the get-together.

The celebration never took place.

Gardner’s life ended with no warning, no time to say goodbye, her mother said.

When Gardner married her husband, she vowed to love and take care of his daughter as if she were her own. Erica assumed motherly duties for Kaylee right away, Kevin Gardner said.

Kaylee’s mother died of spinal meningitis when the girl was 4.

Daughter Rowynn is the image of her mother and has been since the day she was born, her father said.

“Erica was so excited to have Rowynn, and she thrived in her role as a mother,” Stults said. “She was eager to have one more child. Above all, Erica and Kevin hoped that the new baby would be healthy, but also hoped that the baby would be a boy.

“With Logan’s birth, she thought her family was complete, and therefore, she was ready to get into the physical condition she desired,” her mother said. “She was eager for the summer, which was always her favorite time of year.”

Erica Gardner’s father, Rod Stults, said she had a huge heart.

She rescued animals and styled hair for hospice patients. She sang at the top of her lungs and was a dynamite cook, her husband said.

There was a plan for the young mother to open her own salon at her home. She would earn money, take care of her family, and serve her customers.

Her husband said it’s amazing how many lives his wife touched.

“In addition to the wonderful memories Erica has left countless people, she left a legacy through her children,” her mother said. “And her children have helped her family to carry on as she would have wanted.”

Reporter Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.