May 15, 2025
from Dr. Bill Hudson, head of school
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of Jim Gardner, a founding board member of Mounds Park Academy, alumni parent, alumni grandparent, and generous benefactor. Jim lived a life of quiet impact, marked by deep love for his family, steadfast generosity, and tireless commitment to the institutions and communities he believed in, including MPA, YMCA Camp Widjiwagan, and the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Jim and Joan enrolled their son, Matt, at MPA before we had a building, a curriculum, or even teachers. They were drawn to Bob and Sandy Kreischer Smith’s vision of a school that would see their child as a whole person and nurture him as an engaged learner. On the car ride home from his admission interview in May 1982, they made the decision to enroll. That act of faith—choosing an idea over certainty—helped bring MPA to life.
When Matt tragically passed away in 2006, Jim and Joan created the Matthew Gardner Scholarship, which continues to support students of modest means. That legacy—like their son—is deeply woven into the fabric of this school.
Jim’s contributions didn’t stop there. A friend and board member, Karen Benz, recruited Jim early on to help with MPA’s first budget. He was a banker, a property manager, and, at the time, one of the few people with a home computer capable of creating spreadsheets. He once joked, “For some reason, at this point, I was put on the board and made treasurer of an organization that looked like it might go broke.” But Jim knew that if we were to build trust with families, we had to finish our first year in the black. And under his careful watch, we did.
As co-founder Sandy Kreischer Smith once said, Jim and his wife Joan were “two angels sent to us to make this school happen. It is a possibility that there would not have been a Mounds Park Academy without Jim Gardner’s participation. On July 19, 1981, it was he who secured the financial commitment that made it possible to go ahead and open the school on September 7.”
He served as MPA’s treasurer for many years, but even after stepping off the board, he never stopped caring. He met annually with the CFO, offered thoughtful counsel, and remained a quiet guardian of the school’s financial well-being. He and Joan continued their involvement through the years, especially as their three grandchildren attended—and graduated from—MPA.
True to character, Jim never wanted recognition. In 2006, when the school sought to name part of the new Upper School in his honor, he refused. He joked that if they insisted, they could name the boiler room after him. And so we did. That small gesture—naming the most behind-the-scenes space in the building—perfectly reflects the way Jim worked. “He was a humble man who never needed to be the center of attention,” said Sandy Kriescher Smith. “And yet, it’s the boiler that provides the energy for much of the school.”
A few summers ago, I had the honor of sitting down for lunch with founders Bob Kreischer, Harvey Kaplan, Karen Benz, and Jim Gardner. They told story after story about MPA’s earliest days—full of risk, resilience, humor, and hope. What stood out most was not their pride in what they’d built, but their wonder that it had worked at all. And yet, what held it all together—what still holds us today—was their devotion to this idea: that a school could be different—that it could be better.
You may wonder why I share all of this. It’s because our founding story matters. It grounds us in purpose, reminds us where we’ve come from, and lights the way forward. The founders dreamed boldly. They took risks for a school they believed could change lives. And that belief—that dream—did not end with them. It lives on in us.
Jim and Joan have always held a special place in my heart. Few people have offered more steadfast support to me personally. Jim never hesitated to call when he had advice, and he always answered when I needed it. In many ways, he’s one of the reasons I’ve worked as hard as I have over the past 12 years—I never wanted to let him down.
As I prepare to retire, I find myself thinking more and more about legacy. About how each of us leaves something behind. Jim’s legacy is all around us—in the halls, in our students, and in the strength of the school he helped build.
Now it’s our turn to carry it forward.
Let’s honor Jim Gardner and all our founders by continuing their dream—with boldness, compassion, and an unwavering belief in what MPA can be. Let’s ensure this community remains a place where every student is seen, valued, and known—not just for who they are, but for who they can become.
With deepest gratitude and love to Joan and the entire Gardner family.
Jim Gardner’s full obituary can be found here.
