Edgar Burke Gardner

Edgar Burke Gardner, 59, of Kenton, Ohio, lost his courageous battle with cancer on Saturday, July 25, 2020. He was born September 15, 1960 in Kenton to Thad B. and Harriett (Young) Gardner. Ed is survived by his sister Ava (Mike) and his brother Thad A. (Rhonda).

He was a fabricator, welder and foreman for Kenton Structural and Ornamental Iron Works in Kenton and had recently retired from S&S Superior Coach in Lima, Ohio. He graduated from Kenton Senior High School, class of 1979.

Flaming Ed, as he was often referred to on his 190+ mph drag bike, is more recently best known for power shifting his high flying Ford drag cars. Not many could row a Hurst shifter like Edgar did.

He was the man at Ed Gardner Racing, a champion race car driver and an expert engine builder who constructed show quality competition vehicles in his two car garage. Ed also enjoyed the truck pulls and oval track racing, and he was always a crowd favorite in the demolition derby. A driven goal setter, every year he had something he wanted to win or another goal to meet. Most weekends you would find him at the drag strip with his friends, willing to help anyone go faster with common sense advice, he will be dearly missed.