Lee William Gardenour

Lee William Gardenour, age 87, of Viera, FL, passed away October 15, 2026. He was born to Curtis and Ethel Gardenour on Aug. 3, 1939, in Muskegon, Mich. Lee was the beloved husband of JoAnn Morton, who he met while serving in the U.S. Army Security Agency, where he attained the rank of NCO Sgt., while at Fort Bragg, N.C. They were married 65 years.

JoAnn, who was born in North Carolina before relocating to Florida with Lee, survives Lee, along with their three children, Jeffrey of Oviedo, FL; Bryan of Viera; and Penny Husk of New Jersey. Lee also had seven grandchildren: Marielle Gardenour, Lorelei Gardenour, Kai Gardenour, Dylan Gardenour, Micah Husk, Nathan Husk and Kaylee Husk. Lee, who was one of eight children born to Curtis and Ethel, also is survived by his sister, Lenore Klinkner, of Las Vegas.

Lee retired from the space industry in 2002 after more than 40 years of service. He worked for multiple companies at Cape Canaveral through the years, including General Dynamics and Computer Sciences Corporation and was part of the team that put the late astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn up in space. He is honored in the Space Hall of Fame.

Lee was a member of the United Church of Christ Eau Gallie in Melbourne for many years.

As a youth growing up in Michigan, he was a terrific athlete, excelling in track and field and was manager of the baseball team for Muskegon High. He also learned to play a variety of musical instruments, including the organ, bugle and accordion.

Lee will be interred at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims.