Syndicate ‘The Judge’

I read that Judge Bob Gardner is bowing out of the column-writing

business. His farewell column in Tuesday’s Daily Pilot (“Judge rules

column is adjourned”) brought back memories. I was with the

then-Orange Coast Daily Pilot when he began writing for the

newspaper.

It was in the 1970s, I believe, and Judge Gardner, already retired

from the state Court of Appeal, had returned from the South Pacific,

where he had served at the behest of the federal government as chief

justice of the High Court of American Samoa.

One day, after the paper had been put to bed, three of us were

discussing the day’s events in the office of the late Tom Keevil,

then-editor of the Daily Pilot. Present besides Keevil were the late

Tom Murphine, managing editor at the time, and myself, then-assistant

managing editor.

Keevil mentioned that Judge Gardner was back in town and I,

knowing something about the judge’s literary credentials as a widely

read writer of crystal clear and often humorous appellate court

decisions, suggested we ask him to write a column for the paper.

Keevil was skeptical, doubting such an esteemed jurist would do so.

“Why don’t we ask him,” I said. “Nobody will die if he says no.”

That conversation spawned a luncheon at the legendary El Pescador

Restaurant on 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

The fateful question was posed, and the judge said “yes.” A

financial arrangement was struck and a date agreed upon for submittal

of the first weekly column. The deal was sealed over handshakes.

That first column was about a young man with a “sissy name”

(Marion Morrison), who was brought to Newport Beach by some gentlemen

interested in pugilism (and gambling) to fight the town tough. The

young man, who was to become known as John Wayne, won the one-punch

fight.

Years later, Gardner wrote, he was involved in a card game with

Wayne, by then a longtime Newport Beach resident, and related this

story for the amusement of others at the table.

Wayne never looked up from his cards, Gardner recalled, and all he

said was, “So you were the skinny kid who held the money.”

Some years passed, things changed at the Daily Pilot, and a new

editorial regime dropped the Gardner column. This mistake was

rectified later by more enlightened editorial bosses at the paper and

Judge Gardner’s column reappeared.

Now, sadly, it is gone again. Time marches on for all of us.

Perhaps the Daily Pilot could work out a way to reprint some of

Judge Gardner’s columns. That way, the newspaper’s readers could

continue to experience the joy of reading the works of one of our

community’s great treasures.

In any event, thank you, Bob Gardner, for all the joy you’ve given

me.

CHARLES H. “CHUCK” LOOS

Newport Beach

May blessings be heaped upon the head of Judge Robert Gardner for

all the joyous moments he has shared with us.

I think there should be an entire page devoted to the letters you

will receive from his readers. It will be a great memory for his

children, and those family members beyond them, to know how the

community appreciated the wise and humorous words of “our” Judge

Gardner.

LILA CRESPIN

Corona del Mar

It was with sadness that I read the banner headline in the Daily

Pilot Tuesday that announced the final column by Judge Robert

Gardner. Over these past several years, I’ve looked forward to his

contributions each week as he presented vignettes of his life to

entertain us. With just one glance at his photo, it was easy to

visualize him as a scamp growing up on Balboa, sharing adventures

with his cronies. We learned from him that judges are not all pomp

and pontification. Thank you, Judge Gardner, for the years of wisdom

and fun. Thanks to the Daily Pilot for providing his column for us

all.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa

Tuesday’s announcement that Judge Gardner is no longer going to

write his weekly column in the Daily Pilot prompts me to make a

suggestion that has been on my mind for many months. Would the Pilot

consider publishing in book form (soft cover would be fine) all of

his past articles? Over time, I’ve mentioned the idea to a number of

old-timer friends, and they have all backed the idea. Even the Costa

Mesa Historical Society thought it would be a worthwhile project.

Judge Gardner’s “The Verdict” is the first thing I read each

Tuesday. Where else can we learn of our area’s past told with such

humor -- and from first-hand experience?

Let me know if there’s anything I can do to encourage the project.

MARIAN PERRIN

Newport Beach

We were married by Judge Robert Gardner in 1979. Though we have

remained close friends and see him often, we were glad and sad to

realize the time has come for his total retirement. Again, thank you,

Bob, for all your wonderful memories.

JOE AND MARILYNN COLLINS

Corona del Mar

I’m very sad to hear that Judge Robert Gardner is no longer going

to have his column. The last time I felt this sorry is when Charles

Schulz passed away, and we heard that Charlie Brown would no longer

be in the comics.

I’m just wondering if there’s any chance, since we now have reruns

on Charlie Brown, why can’t we have reruns on Judge Gardner? His

knowledge about our towns is fantastic. He knew many of my old

friends, and it was always a delight to read stories that I had never

heard before. And I can read them again and again. I’ve bought all

his books, and I really think it’d be a great idea if you could get

permission from Judge Gardner to rerun some of his old news articles.

I think it would be a blessing for everybody who missed him in the

old days, and I would love to reread them. So, just a little idea. I

still read Charlie Brown every day, and I would read Judge Gardner

every Tuesday.

BILL VONKLEINSMID

Corona del Mar