Where are they now? Stu Gardner, Class of 1979

Stewart Gardner, ('79)
President and Founder
of Charlotte Wealth
Management, LLC

Our first a segment of “Where Are They Now” comes from Stuart Gardner.  Stuart Gardner played from 1977 to 1979 under Coach Ludwig.  Stuart mentions that as a team they were very successful in the years that he was here at Fredonia State.   

Just as we do now, Stuart and the Blue Devils took an annual trip down to Florida for spring training.  This is where he recalls some of his greatest memories.  One of his best memories during a game was when they were playing a Florida school and lost the first game 9-2.  In the night cap of the double header, then teammate Billy Nolan was the starting pitcher.  Early in the game, Nolan suffered an injury that was a result from a hard line drive that hit him in the throwing hand.  He finished the inning and when he returned to throw the next Nolan began to pitch with his opposite hand.  Gardner notes that Nolan actually threw better with his off hand.  

 Another vivid memory for Gardner also came from Florida.  They were sitting in their hotel room and one of the players dared Bart Carruth to do something somewhat not intelligent. Carruth ate an entire light bulb in the hotel room of Florida. Gardner says this was one of the funniest things he has witnessed.

Not long after graduation, Stu hooked up
with Charlotte O's Farm team (1980).

          Gardner's favorite personally memory is when he was yanked from the game after hitting a grand slam.  Gardner recollects, “It was a 2-0 count, Coach Luddy gave me the take sign, I couldn’t believe it, so I decided to hell with him I’m swinging, and sure enough I go and hit a grand slam.”  Gardner says that in the same exact game, Billy Nolan hit a grand slam as well but remained in the game.  Maybe you shouldn’t listen to the coach more often.  

He earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in psychology from Fredonia State University in 1979. He is President and Founder of Charlotte Wealth Management, LLC, and has worked extensively in the field of Financial Management since 1983, and currently resides in Charlotte, N.C.

Stuart and his wife, Gail, have been married since May 1984. They have two sons, Christopher and Chad. Stuart is a player, coach and a director for the Charlotte Adult Baseball League and enjoys playing ice hockey in the winter.