WATCH: 9/11 25th Anniversary Remembrance Interview With the Siblings of Jeffrey Brian Gardner
By Steve Wilson // September 11, 2026
Gardner worked on the 99th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City
WATCH: Jeff Gardner and his mom tragically lost his life on 9/11 while working on the 99th floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center in New York City. His siblings, Amy Kassan and Eric Gardner, talk with Steve Wilson about their brother.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Twenty-five years ago today, 2,977 people perished during 9/11. Living in Florida at the time, I watched 9/11 unfold from a distance. I had friends in New York that day, but I didn’t know anyone personally who was lost.
The last of my 25-part series on those who died honors the name and memory of Jeffrey Brian Gardner, or as his family called him, Jeff. I recently had the privilege of talking with Jeff’s siblings, Amy Kassan and Eric Gardner.
Jeff sold insurance for a living and worked on the 99th floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center, but that does not even begin to tell you anything about him. He was a free spirit, but focused when it mattered.
Jeff was passionate about volunteering his time with Habitat for Humanity International and Habitat for Humanity in Newark, New Jersey.
After Jeff’s passing, his family and friends gathered to work on and build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Over 15 houses have been built, all in Jeff’s name.
I asked Amy to describe Jeff. She told me, “He was a renaissance man. He could do anything. He loved the opera, but he rode a motorcycle. He loved to cook, but he loved his junk food!” She went on to say, “He was also the type of person who would do anything for anyone. He was a very deep-thinking, spiritual person.”
Jeff was a confident person. Eric told me, “He never met a challenge that he didn’t think he could overcome. He liked to work with his hands and was self-taught.” Eric gave me an example of this, telling me that, while living in San Francisco, California, Jeff figured out a way to “earthquake-proof” his house.
It has been 25 years since Jeff died, but he is always on the mind of his loved ones. Amy told me she thinks about him every day.
Constant things remind her of Jeff. Amy said, “All the time I see little signs. My favorite thing is when I have a JBG license plate in front of me, and I think, oh, he’s here.” She continued, “Cardinals, for some reason, remind me of him.”
Because Jeff had a tattoo of the sun on his ankle, she said, “Obviously, anything with the sun, I always think of him. So many things spark memories of him; he’s always present. He’s everywhere to me, still.
Eric echoed Amy’s sentiments about the sun. He said everything sun-related reminds him of Jeff. Eric also said he thinks of Jeff, “every time I see the name Jimmy Buffet.”
Jeff once took Eric to Margaritaville in San Francisco, just to pick at him, because he knew Eric was not a Buffet fan like he was.
I asked both Amy and Eric how they would like their brother to be remembered. Amy said, “I would like Jeff to be remembered as just the giving person that he was, the well-rounded person that he was.”
Eric, like Amy, wants people to know that Jeff was very giving. Eric told me, “He drew people in. He was willing to take on any challenge. He had supreme confidence.”
I did not have the good fortune to know Jeff, but after my conversation with Amy and Eric, I felt like I knew him. If we had more people like Jeff in this world, we would be much better off. Jeffrey Brian Gardner was that special.
This article was sponsored by Erdman Automotive and Craig Technologies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Steve Wilson was born in DeRidder, Louisiana, and grew up in both New Orleans and Macon, Georgia. He moved to Brevard County in 1984 and retired from local government as the Community Advocate/Assistant to the City Manager with the City of Rockledge in 2018.
Among the awards and accolades Steve has received over the years are 15 + year Rockledge Little League volunteer, Brevard Public School Jefferson Award Recipient, Rockledge High School Raider Booster Award 2001, 2006, City of Rockledge Employee of the Year 2006, Rockledge Kiwanian of the Year 2006-2007, City of Rockledge Quality Public Service Award 2008, 2012, 2017, Rockledge Kiwanis Citizen of the Year 2012-2013, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Sportscasting 2015, Rockledge High School Leadership and Service Award 2016, Central Florida Humanitarian Award 2017, Space Coast Inspiration Award – 2018, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement – 2020, Ecofest Achievement Award – 2022, Quality Floridian Award – 2022, presented by U.S. Congressman Bill Posey, Florida House District 32 Constituent of the Week 4/20/25.
Wilson is especially proud of chairing two fundraisers in support of pediatric cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, in honor of Merritt Island resident Julie Spurlock, that raised over $25,000.00.
He has been a partner, along with Orville Susong, for the past 27 years with the Friday Night Locker Room, a broadcasting team that covers and reports on a wide variety of local events significant to residents of the Space Coast and beyond. Their mission is to promote youth sports, support first responders and law enforcement personnel, and showcase community and charitable events that are produced by our nonprofit partners in central Florida.
The Friday Night Locker Room has awarded hundreds of sports achievement plaques to Brevard County student-athletes over the years. They have also awarded more than $18,000 in academic scholarships to Brevard County high school seniors.
