I would like to inform the List of the recent sad passing of Norman Gardner,
of Auckland, New Zealand, at the age of 85. He passed away on 7th August,
2006, after a stroke, as I understand it.
He was actively interested in shells for over 60 years. He served in the
Pacific Basin during World War II, and was already collecting and observing
shells, especially his beloved landsnails. He was the foremost "amateur"
authority on molluscs in New Zealand over most of this time, and a very kind
and helpful guide to all who knew him (including, fortunately, myself). Only
a month ago he was still able to talk "snail talk' with his friends.
He was the author of some New Zealand species of Cyclophoridae and some
other minute NZ landsnails in the 1960's. Placostylus ambagiosus gardneri
and Potamopyrgus gardneri were named in his honour. His most recent work was
on landsnails of the Solomon Islands, collaborating with Andre Delsaerdt of
Belgium on a soon-to-be released publication.
Shell-wise, he leaves behind his wife, Noel Gardner, who is well-known in
her own right as a shell worker, even to this day, (in her eighties),
contributing weekly to the backroom functions of the Marine Department of
Auckland War Memorial Museum. In the shell world, they were "a perfect
pair".
Martin
New Zealand

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