Bodhi: A name of Sanskrit origin that means "enlightening and awakening"

Bodhi Alan Gardner, 16, of Huntsville, Alabama, suddenly passed away on November 17, 2023.

Bodhi was born in DeRidder, Louisiana on November 20, 2006, to Jason and Deborah Gardner. In 2012, the family relocated to Huntsville, Alabama. Bodhi was a Junior at Grissom High School taking AP classes, was a Team Leader at Chic Fil A, and he considered joining the military after graduating.

Bodhi had a special love for animals. He grew up always having animals by his side, whom he loved and cherished very much. He used to love going out in the back yard to play with the dogs and throw the ball with them. He also had a special love for Corgis. Any kind of animal always brought him joy.

Bodhi was well known at school and had many friends and brothers who will miss him dearly. He was known for always leaving a smile on his peers' faces and leaving a positive light in the room. He would fill the room with laughter and joy with his humorous and strong personality. He and his friends would joke and goof off at school. They called him "Two Chins" because that's what they said his rapper name would be.

Everybody who worked with Bodhi at Chic Fil A knows that he had strong passion for his job as a Team Leader. He earned employee of the month, and he was very hardworking and always tried to motivate people to work hard and do a good job. He would say, "Hard work requires working hard". His coworkers would call him the "Fry Guy" and even on the hardest days, people would have a smile on their face because of him. He was very good at bringing people together.

Everyone at home knows how much Bodhi loved to write. He would get so excited about trying new pens and loved fresh notebooks. He was always buying new mechanical pencils. He also really liked drinking out of things that you wouldn't normally drink out of, like wine glasses and old olive oil bottles and flasks. We all thought it was quirky and funny and we will miss seeing his new drink glasses. He had a blue belt in Tang Soo Do. He played the Sax in the Challenger Middle School Band. He was a lover of music and food, and enjoyed TV shows like Breaking Bad, Friends, the Office, and Supernatural.

Bodhi will always be remembered for his ability to make people smile and laugh and the way he could fill up a room with so much joy. He was such a positive influence on his friends and peers. When he was a kid, dad called him "Boy Wonder", usually in reference to when he'd do something silly. When he was about 5 he launched himself off a waterslide resulting in a full leg cast in a wheel chair and that's how he started Kindergarten. He was always so fearless. We'd always call him "Bubba". Dad would always buy the Bubba Burgers from the store because we'd say they were Bubba's burgers. Crocs and socks will forever remind us of him because that's what he'd wear all the time. He always made us laugh with his catch phrases like "No Cap", or "Bussin'". He'd say things like "Those wings were bussin'". Or I remember when dad got some new crocs and he said "Dad got that new drip" and we all laughed and cackled. We couldn't have asked for a better son and brother. We will miss Bodhi every day and our hearts will forever be heavy with the loss of his beautiful smile and soul. His memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him. LLB.
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Bodhi is survived by (Parents) Jason and Deborah Gardner, (Sisters) Tyler Rocha, Maya and Cooper Gardner, (Paternal Grandparents) Mark and Reba Kinder, (Maternal Grandparent) Carol Wexler and (Nephew) Zachary Gasky.

There are no services planned at this time. Berryhill Funeral Home assisted the family.