Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Jeffrey Lee Gardy, an attorney who practiced law in Suffolk for more than 50 years and represented the Holy Neck Borough on City Council from 2006 until 2015, died Feb. 1. He was 80.

Gardy, who is survived by his wife of 57 years, Toni Gardy, served two terms on the council, in 2010 becoming the first to be re-elected from that borough and breaking what had previously been known as the “Holy Neck curse.”

During his campaign for a third term, he wrote that he was blessed and proud to make history when Holy Neck residents elected him a second time.

“Getting a second chance is something that has happened more than once in my life,” Gardy wrote in an Oct. 26, 2014, column for the Suffolk News-Herald. “Understanding the gift of that second chance, I have worked hard to bring home the bacon to the Holy Neck Borough.”

He cited among his accomplishments bringing Pioneer Elementary School (now Southwestern Elementary School) to Holland, getting lights on the village’s baseball fields and a quality water system to Holland.

He said he was also proud of the things that have happened in Holy Neck during his time on council. At his last council meeting Dec. 17, 2014, he praised various city leaders for helping him during his tenure. He shared a story of being locked inside a car wash and calling 911 to help get him out, but he got a second car wash out of the deal.

Councilman Lue Ward recalled working with Gardy when he was first elected to council and sat next to him.

“He was one of the guys who would help me through certain times, and he was always there for me,” Ward said.

Vice Mayor Leroy Bennett remembered the eight years the two served together on council.

“We all had a team effort in moving things forward, and we all got along very well,” Bennett said. “Jeff was a real down-to-earth guy. He had no phony things about him. He would tell you just what he thought and how he felt, and I can appreciate that from anyone that I deal with. He was honest and upfront, and even though we might not agree, he’d still tell me what his true feelings (were).”

Mayor Mike Duman noted that he had also served for eight years with Gardy, recalling times he stopped by his car dealership.

“I’m going to miss Mr. Gardy stopping by the dealership every now and then to get his car worked on,” Duman said. “He’s just an all-around good guy. I guess that’s the best way to describe him.”