James "Jim" Lewis Gardell

Jim, a loving husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully after his battle with liver disease on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at Porter Hospice in Centennial, CO. Jim was born on July 3, 1953, in Denver, CO, to Dr. John Earl and Elizabeth (McConaty) Gardell. Jim graduated from Mullen High School in 1971. Jim met his soulmate Jill Marie Cristofano at the Central Bank of Denver. They were married on September 12, 1982, at Notre Dame Catholic Church and enjoyed 40 years of marriage together. They have two children, Kelsey Rose born in 1988 and Bryson James born in 1992. Jim had a love for the outdoors including camping, hiking, biking, and scenic drives he took with his wife Jill.

Some of his fondest childhood memories are of the family cabin in Evergreen where he spent most of his summers with his numerous cousins. He enjoyed biking for the majority of his life, whether it was to get around town or just for the fun of it. In the early ’80s, the Coors International Bicycle Classic was something he really enjoyed and looked forward to attending. Later in life, he discovered the joy of disc golf with his best friend John Neely and his son-in-law Adam. They would get together to play, drink coffee, and enjoy each other's company in the early morning hours before the sun would rise. Jim was a well-rounded man with no task too great. This is in part because he had many odd jobs as a teenage boy and young adult.

He started out with a newspaper route like many young boys did at the time. He then delivered meat to local restaurants, delivered flowers for Jewish bar mitzvahs, worked at a liquor store, repossessed cars at night, and fixed air conditioners back in Detroit for a brief time. Eventually, he landed a job at the Central Bank of Denver. He started as a teller in the main lobby, and quickly moved to the Retail Lending collections department. This was when Jim met his soulmate, Jill. After that he then moved into the trust department where he met many of his life-long friends. While in the trust department, it was there that he discovered the computer which evolved into a career that carried him through his life. He retired from Entrust Data Card in 2020.

One of the greatest joys in his life was becoming Papa in 2018 with the birth of his first “clock loving” grandchild, Easton James. In 2021 his “cute as a button” granddaughter Rowan Marie came into his life. Before he fell ill in the spring of 2022 with non-alcoholic liver disease, he enjoyed being with his friends, family, and playing with his grand dog Rio. Jim will be remembered for his boisterous laugh and kind smile and hugs. Next time you see an old VW camper bus out on the open road, think of Jim and his family.

Jim is also Survived by: Cecily (Blair) Kittleson, Cynthia Drew, Clare Dilts, and Kathleen Lennon, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Rosary at 10:30am on Tuesday, January 3, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00am at Light of the World Catholic Church, 10306 W Bowles Ave, Littleton, CO 80127.

A private burial will take place on Wednesday, January 4th at 11:00am at Seven Stones Chatfield Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Denver Dumb Friends League https://www.ddfl.org/donate