The Passing of a Community Icon
View as Webpage March 24, 2023
COAL recognizes the passing of a successful businessman, philanthropist, civic leader and Community Icon, Edward G. 'Ed' Gardner.

Rest in peace, Mr. Gardner. You have made a significant and positive impact on the lives of Black people and will be remembered.

The Gardner family has our sincere condolences.

COAL Board of Directors
"There is no Mayor Harold Washington without business leaders like Gardner and a few others, who used their wealth to help the community."
Gardner's son Gary remarked, “He was my father, my hero, my teacher. He taught me how to engage people with humanity and humility.” His daughter Terri added, “My father saw the untapped potential of his community. He believed that with access to opportunity, hard work, a quality education and safe neighborhoods, there is nothing we can’t achieve”.
COAL will miss Ed Gardner.
In 2012, he came to a COAL Breakfast and challenged the organization to join him in a major effort to get CTA to hire more Black contractors and employees on the Red Line project. COAL, along with Gardner and others, were successful.

From that day forward, Mr. Gardner has been the businessman and Black Chicago leader that COAL has had as an example of what we, as a mobilized community, can do to push our agenda as equal citizens of our city, to stand up and make known our expectations and demand equity and parity of opportunity, and importantly, how to rise above personal interest and gain, to fight for our community.
Much respect and love go out to Ed Gardner. We need more like him, today.

He will be missed.
Contact: Clarence Wood, Chairman 312.404.8269 - Craig K. Wimberly, President 773.350.9315
Email: publicpolicy@coalchicago.com
COAL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Illinois, USA.
Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by U.S. law.