This month, we are pleased to introduce you to Katie and Chris Gardler and their four children: Mackenzie, Tommy, Grace and Matt. The Gardler family is a remarkable group, known not only for their impressive basketball skills but also for their deep involvement in the Marple community. Their passion for basketball extends beyond just playing; they have made it their mission to give back. Whether it’s coaching youth teams, organizing fundraisers or volunteering at local events, the Gardlers have demonstrated how sports can unite people while fostering a spirit of service
and leadership.
Chris grew up in Ridley Park with his two sisters. He attended St. Madeline for grade school and later St. James High School, where he was an All
Catholic basketball player. Basketball was in Chris’s blood as his dad, Bud, was a player for the St. Joe’s Hawks in the late ‘60s and then became a
highly successful coach at Cardinal O’Hara and mentor to those in Philadelphia basketball. In total, Bud had 420 wins in over 30 seasons at O’Hara, making him the winningest coach. “My dad not only taught me the skills of the game, but also valuable life lessons about perseverance, patience and hard work,” Chris said.
After high school, Chris furthered his education and continued his basketball career at Widener University for two years and at the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science (now known as Jefferson University) for a year. In 1989, he transferred to St. Joe’s on a full scholarship with two
years of eligibility to play basketball for the Hawks. He graduated with a marketing degree in 1991 and then spent two tours traveling with the Harlem Globetrotters.
Today, Chris is a National Sales Manager for the Red Wing Shoe Co., where he enjoys working with customers in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland. “I love the Red Wing American-made product,” said Chris. “I have great respect for my colleagues, too. They’ve become lifetime best friends.” Chris has also coached numerous basketball teams in our community at all different levels, most recently at Marple Newtown High School (MNHS), where he served as an assistant coach.
Meanwhile, Katie grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and attended Resurrection grade school and later St. Hubert’s High School, where she played basketball, volleyball and field hockey. For three years, she was All Catholic in all three sports. After high school, Katie earned a scholarship to play basketball at St. Joe’s, becoming the A10 player of the year her senior year. She was also named District All American, became St. Joe’s women’s basketball team’s 4th all-time leading scorer and was inducted into the St. Joe’s Hall of Fame, the Big Five Hall of Fame and most recently the Philadelphia City All Star chapter of the PA Hall of Fame.
After graduating from St. Joe’s, Katie went on to pursue a Master’s in Elementary Education as well as an MBA in 
Management. For many years, Katie coached Division 1 basketball, first at Drexel University from 1995-2000 and later at St. Joe’s from 2010-2015. She has also been a building substitute and assistant math specialist in the Marple Newtown School district, and in 2019-2022, she served as a Marketing Coordinator at Freddy’s Steakburgers in Broomall. In that role, Katie had the opportunity to create and organize events that raised money for local people in need as well as local sports teams. “One of the best fundraisers was one for Austin’s Army, in honor of Austin Beltrante, the son of MNHS principal, John Beltrante,” Katie recalled. “We raised close to $10,000 to support Austin after his accident.” Today, Katie owns and operates a cleaning business with her daughter Grace called Katie and Grace Cleaning. “I love getting to spend days with my daughter Grace and helping people get organized,” she said. “It’s extremely fulfilling knowing you can lighten someone’s stress just by cleaning and organizing for them.”
Katie and Chris met at St. Joe’s. These two basketball standouts connected shortly after Chris transferred from Jefferson University. The couple tied the knot in the Bahamas in 1997 surrounded by about 60 of their closest friends and family. A few months later, Katie and Chris celebrated again in
Philadelphia with nearly 400 people in attendance. Soon after it took them a few years of working hard to purchase their dream home in Marple Township near Worrall Elementary. “We knew we wanted to live in Delaware County because of the many terrific school options and we wanted to be near Chris’s dad, who was teaching and coaching at O’Hara,” Katie explained. “The day we looked at our house there were children playing outside
in Worrall’s playground. The sounds of their laughter sealed the deal!”
Shortly after they moved in, they welcomed their first child, Mackenzie. Now 25, Mackenzie lives in South Carolina, where she is working as a nurse and is enjoying the beach. Growing up, she attended St. Anastasia and then Cardinal O’Hara High School. One of O’Hara’s star basketball players, she helped the team win two Philadelphia Catholic League Championships. During her senior year, she scored her 1000th point and was named 1st All-State. “Cardinal O’Hara was the perfect fit for Mackenzie,” said her mom. “Head coach Linus McGinty was a legend!”
After high school, Mackenzie earned a scholarship to play basketball at Villanova University, where she ultimately helped lead her team to the NCAA tournament during her senior year. Shortly after graduating with a degree in Communications, she returned to her alma mater to earn a Bachelor’s of
Nursing. Today, Mackenzie works in the NICU at the Medical College of South Carolina (MCSC). 
“Mackenzie has always been empathetic, outgoing, driven, decisive and hard working,” Katie shared. Recently, Mackenzie received an integrity award at work for her attention to detail with a critically ill patient in the NICU. “My goal is to be the best nurse I can be, stay in shape and spend time with family and friends,” she said.
Mackenzie’s younger brother, Tommy, was born in 2000. Tommy graduated from MNHS, where he was a starter on the school’s Varsity Basketball team. “He works so hard and he takes nothing for granted,” Chris said. He recalled what led Tommy to be one of the best players at MNHS by his senior year. “When Tommy was a young player at St. Annie’s, he really fought every year to make an “A” team. It wasn’t until 8th grade when Dan Mostardi, St Annie’s head coach gave him his chance. From that moment a light switch went off in Tommy’s head with the understanding that if he worked hard enough good things would happen!” His dream to play Division 1 started that year. After high school, he started his college career at the University of the Sciences before transferring to LaSalle to play Division 1 basketball for legendary Big Five Coach Fran Dunphy. “When Coach Dunphy awarded Tommy his scholarship, he said that Tommy was the greatest teammate he has ever coached,” Katie said proudly.
In 2024, Tommy graduated with a Biology degree from LaSalle and then in 2025 enrolled in Villanova’s Nursing Program. In his spare time, he loves to lift weights, train young athletes to play basketball and spend time with friends and family.
Katie and Chris welcomed their daughter Grace in 2001. Grace loves exploring all kinds of art. “I get bored easily, so I push myself to try different mediums,” she said. While she was growing up, Grace played basketball for St. Annie’s but ultimately found that her passion was art. Later, as an eighth grader at Paxon Hollow Middle School, one of her favorite experiences was working on art projects with the children in Mr. Collin’s Life Skills Class. “This was so rewarding that I’m considering a career in working with children,” said Grace.
Grace began her high school career at O’Hara, later transferring to MNHS, where she was introduced to her mentor and art instructor, Mrs. Can, who gave her the confidence to create a mural in the school’s gymnasium. Mrs. Can also encouraged her to apply to the Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Illustration.
Today, when she’s not busy working alongside her mom in their cleaning business, she’s illustrating a book that will be published by September. A self-proclaimed introvert, Grace also loves relaxing with shows or movies and spending time with her family and friends and her dogs, Buddy and Moose. “I’d love to visit different countries one day and continue to grow as an artist,” she said.
The youngest Gardler, Matt, is an outgoing, athletic senior at MNHS. Matt is passionate about all sports, but basketball is his specialty. He also enjoys lifting weights, golfing and hanging with his friends and family. For the past two years, Matt was also involved with the high school’s LINK (Leaders Involved in Networking Kids) program. Matt had a memorable senior year as captain of the basketball team. He was instrumental in his team clinching a spot in 5A PIAA State Championship tournament. “These last two years of basketball were the most fun I have ever had on any of my past teams,” he said. Matt was named 2X MVP of the Central league for his junior and senior years and he humbly credits his teammates for their outstanding commitment to the team’s goals. “In the final game of my senior year, they knew I needed eight points to break the program’s record so they all started to yell at me to shoot the ball and every time they would get a rebound they quickly passed it back to me to get another shot up,” he added. With less than a minute remaining, Matt’s teammate Noah Maida, his best friend since Worrall, grabbed the biggest rebound and saw Matt at the three point line and gave him the final assist to break the record. “To end my career with Ryan Keating, Noah Maida and AJ Tarquini on that floor in a state game and all they cared about was me making history tells you all you need to know about my team.”
As Matt gets ready to graduate, life will certainly change for Chris and Katie without someone in the Marple Newtown School District. They became a little choked up reflecting on just how much Marple has positively impacted their family. “My kids are who they are because of the support of the
administration at the schools in the Marple Newtown area. Worrall Elementary is the best-kept secret in the area. It really helped Matt and Grace flourish and gain confidence,” she said. “O’Hara was also a special place, an amazing time for both Kenzie and Grace to share, especially with the masses, the retreats and the friends they made.” Chris remarked that MNHS Athletic Director Chris Gicking is the greatest mentor to all these athletes. “He is supportive of whatever these kids need for them to reach their goals,” he said. “And it has been a pleasure working side by side with Coach Sean Spratt these last few years while my sons have come through. They are better men because of him and his entire family. We are grateful to the Marple Community!”
While the Gardlers’ skills on the court have certainly been impressive, it’s their dedication to our friends and neighbors here that truly leaves a legacy. The Gardler family has supported and given back to our community by getting involved in everything from coaching to camps to fundraisers. For the past several years, the whole family has been involved with teaching kids basketball skills. Each summer, they run basketball camps (known as Gardler Clinics) through the Marple Recreation Center. This year, Tommy and Matt will work together, offering both individual and small group lessons.
Over the years, both Chris and Katie have coached numerous teams, including CYO, the Malvern League and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball. They recently ran a Tiger Ball Handling Kids Club with fellow Marple parents Nancy Hilden and Sally Matthews. “It was fabulous and we hope to do it again next year!”
It’s been 26 years since the Gardlers chose to live in Marple. Back then, they had no idea if their children would even be interested in sports. What they found was that joining local teams was competitive, rewarding and really fun. “Basketball has been a great connector. It’s helped all my children make friends and learn how to compete, work as a team and become leaders!” Katie said. “And along the way, we met wonderful,
caring people!”
Do you know a Marple family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.