Obituary of Beth Kay White Gartner

Beth White Gartner, 65, passed away November 30, 2020 after a long and courageous battle with neurosarcoidosis and resulting strokes. She passed peacefully while her daughters sang “Amazing Grace(My Chains are Gone)” with her on FaceTime, and her family rejoices that by God’s Grace she is finally freed from the chains of her earthly body. Beth was born in San Antonio on August 18, 1955 to Carl and Madge White. She was the fifth of six children and graduated from Highlands High School in San Antonio. She went on to attend Baylor University, graduating in 1976. While at Baylor she met Paul Gartner, a young law student who “wanted to date a short girl”. Beth loved to say that they “raised each other from pups” and they were married on August 22, 1975, four days after Beth’s 20th birthday. They raised two daughters and were married 31 years until Paul’s death on December 30, 2006. Mirroring her 31 years of marriage, Beth had a 31 year career as a public school teacher, including 20 years at JT Stevens in Fort Worth ISD. Beth’s special gifting and passion was teaching students with learning disabilities as a resource and special education teacher. Countless students learned to read because of her dedication. She also loved to teach children about Jesus in missions education at her church and on mission trips to the Texas-Mexico border and in apartment ministry in Fort Worth. Beth was a tireless and passionate Baylor fan, holding season tickets until her death for football and men’s and women’s basketball. Some of the family’s fondest memories were made on road trips to away football games and traveling to see the Lady Bears win their first two national championships. Beth is survived by her two daughters, Amanda Gartner Franklin and husband Ben and Ashley Gartner and fiancé Brett Sutton; two grandsons to whom she was a devoted Gigi, Benjamin and Brooks Franklin; three sisters: Carole Hooge, Charlyn Gannaway, and Beverly Doty; one brother, Brian White; a sister-in-law, Leighanne Hoban; several nieces and nephews; and the students whose lives she touched. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Edwin Gartner, Jr.; her parents; her in-laws; her brother, Burke White; and her niece, Korinne Taylor. The family would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the staffs of Avalon Memory Care in Arlington and Hospice Plus, who cared for our mother as their own, especially when the coronavirus pandemic prevented us from visiting her over the past months.