Jewel Dean Gardner 75, of Prospect Heights, Illinois died peacefully on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at her home.  Funeral services at Cardinal Drive Church of Christ, Rolling Meadows, Illinois.  Interment private.

Jewel was born on April 19, 1941 in Jetson, Kentucky to Purtle and Lena (nee Jones) Embry.

Ms. Gardner was employed with AT&T for 37 years. She started as a service representative then progressed to supervisor, computer programmer, systems analyst, and eventually manager of payroll and benefits at the time of her retirement in 2000. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Cardinal Drive Church of Christ.

Jewel is survived by her daughter, Deborah L. (John) Adair; grandchildren Justin F. Adair, and Jessica L. (Nathan) Cottrell; great grandchildren, Elena Beth Cottrell and Josiah Glen Thomas Cottrell; siblings Maxine (Raymond) Bryant, Lionell Embry, Kathleen Warren, William (Helen) Embry and Jean (Fred) Wilmington; and her sisters-in-law Charlena and Edra Embry.

She is preceded in death by her husband Vincent T. Ferrara; parents; brothers, Burt and James P. Embry; sister-in-law Hazel Embry, and brother-in-law Glendon Warren.

Memorials to Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Published in Chicago Suburban Daily Herald on Aug. 31, 2016