Sam Gardiner

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Sam Gardiner

| honorific-suffix = MBE, JP

| image = Sam Gardiner.jpg

| imagesize = 175px

| alt =

| caption =

| office = Father of the Northern Ireland Assembly

| term_start = 5 May 2011

| term_end = 5 May 2016

| predecessor =

| successor =

| constituency_AM1 = Upper Bann

| assembly1 = Northern Ireland

| majority1 =

| term_start1 = 26 November 2003

| term_end1 = 30 March 2016

| predecessor1 = George Savage

| successor1 = Doug Beattie

| office2 = Mayor of
Craigavon

| deputy2 =

| term_start2 = 2001

| term_end2 = 2002

| predecessor2 = Fred Crowe

| successor2 = Jonathan Bell

| deputy3 =

| term_start3 = 1988

| term_end3 = 1989

| predecessor3 = Sydney Cairns

| successor3 = James McCammick

| deputy4 =

| term_start4 = 1982

| term_end4 = 1983

| predecessor4 = Mary Simpson

| successor4 = James Gillespie

| office5 = Member of
Craigavon Borough Council

| constituency5 = Lurgan

| term_start5 = 21 May 1997

| term_end5 = 5 May 2011

| predecessor5 = Audrey Savage

| successor5 = Jo-Anne Dobson

| constituency6 = Lurgan

| term_start6 = 15 May 1985

| term_end6 = 17 May 1989

| predecessor6 = District created

| successor6 = Audrey Savage

| constituency7 = Craigavon Area D

| term_start7 = 20 May 1981

| term_end7 = 15 May 1985

| predecessor7 = James Baird

| successor7 = District abolished

| office8 = Ulster Unionist Whip in the Northern Ireland Forum

| leader8 = David Trimble

| term_start8 = 1996

| term_end8 = 1998

| predecessor8 = Office created

| successor8 = Office abolished

| office9 = Northern Ireland Forum Member
for Upper Bann

| term_start9 = 30 May 1996

| term_end9 = 25 April 1998

| predecessor9 = New forum

| successor9 = Forum dissolved

| office10 = Mayor of Lurgan

| term_start10 = 1968

| term_end10 = 1969

| predecessor10 =

| successor10 =

| office11 = Member of
Lurgan Borough Council

| term_start11 = 1963

| term_end11 = 1973

| predecessor11 =

| successor11 = Council abolished

| birth_date = {{birth date|1940|3|24|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|11|8|1940|3|24|df=yes}}

| death_place =

| restingplace =

| birthname =

| nationality = British

| party = Ulster Unionist Party

| otherparty =

| spouse = Elizabeth Gardiner

| relations =

| children = Clive
Keith

| residence = Lurgan, County Armagh

| alma_mater =

| occupation =

| profession =

| cabinet =

| committees =

| portfolio =

| signature =

| signature_alt =

| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20061009074331/http://www.uup.org/welcome_representatives_samgardiner_frame.htm Gardiner UUP]

| footnotes =

}}

Alderman Samuel Gardiner MBE JP (24 March 1940 – 8 November 2022) was a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann from 2003 to 2016.

Background

Gardiner was elected to Lurgan Borough Council (now Craigavon Borough Council) in 1963 and held office of mayor in that borough in 1968.{{cite web|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_07/gardiner_s.htm |title=Biography – Sam Gardiner |accessdate=2016-07-27 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905164211/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_07/gardiner_s.htm |archivedate=5 September 2008 }} He was mayor of Craigavon 1982/3, 1988/9 and 2000/1.

Gardiner was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum and was party whip in the same in 1996–1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_07/gardiner_s.htm |title=Biography – Sam Gardiner |date=2007-05-05 |accessdate=2016-07-27 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505100046/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_07/gardiner_s.htm |archivedate=5 May 2007 }}

Gardiner was elected to the Assembly in 2003. He served on the Environmental, Leisure Services and Public Services Liaison Committees and was the UUP spokesperson on environment. As the oldest Northern Ireland Assembly member, Gardiner also served as Father of the House, a role which includes presiding over the election of a new Speaker of the Assembly.{{cite web |url=http://www.u.tv/News/Assembly-votes-against-SF-Speaker/90322a79-6be2-4d6e-a5ea-f68addd7b5d7 |title=The ITV Hub – The home of ITV |website=U.tv |accessdate=2016-07-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20141013142650/http://www.u.tv/News/Assembly-votes-against-SF-Speaker/90322a79-6be2-4d6e-a5ea-f68addd7b5d7 |archivedate=13 October 2014 }}

Gardiner was a High Sheriff for County Armagh and was appointed a justice of the peace. He was also a member of the Orange Order, Deputy Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution and former chairman of Glenavon F.C..

Gardiner died on 8 November 2022, at the age of 82.{{cite news |last1=McKenna |first1=Michael |title=Former Craigavon Mayor and Upper Bann MLA Sammy Gardiner passes away |url=https://armaghi.com/news/craigavon-news/former-craigavon-mayor-and-upper-bann-mla-sammy-gardiner-passes-away/189384 |access-date=8 November 2022 |publisher=Armagh i |date=8 November 2022}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110412215244/http://www.uup.org/index.php/uup-people/assembly-election-candidates/sam-gardiner-upper-bann Profile on the UUP website]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094541/http://www.stratagem-ni.com/upperbannmlas.php Stratagem profile]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20040907112550/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/gardiner_s.htm NI Assembly profile]

{{s-ttl

| title=Mayor of Lurgan

| years= 1968–1969

}}

{{succession box | title=Mayor of Craigavon | before= Mary Simpson | after= James Gillespie | years= 1982–1983}}

{{succession box | title=Mayor of Craigavon | before= Sydney Cairns | after=James McCammick | years= 1988–1989}}

{{succession box | title=Mayor of Craigavon | before= Fred Crowe | after= Jonathan Bell | years= 2001–2002}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Member for Upper Bann

| years = 1996–1998

}}

{{succession box