Rockie Ascendent: A Farewell to Our Favorite Stargazer

Note to Rockie's readers: There will be a public memorial for the late astrologer on November 15, 3-6 p.m., at Boardner's, 1652 N. Cherokee Ave., Hollywood (323-462-9621).

Rochelle "Rockie" Gardiner

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More About

• Pete Gardiner
• Brooklyn (New York City)
• Rockie Horoscope
• Astrology and Horoscopes
• Halloween

All and everything goes this Halloween, as liberating Uranus and daring Mars perfect their rewarding trine.

—The Rockie Horoscope, Oct. 30, 2008

Rochelle “Rockie” Gardiner, Sagittarius, departed planet Earth at 11:11 a.m. on Friday, October 31, Halloween.

She was 70.

Rockie was born in Brooklyn and raised in Lawrence, on Long Island.

She attended Syracuse University and received a degree from Barnard College.

She worked in publishing at Doubleday, where she was an editor of children’s books.

While at Doubleday she worked with literary luminaries such as Shirley Jackson and Arthur Miller.

Rockie married the love of her life, Peter Gardiner, in 1958.

Peter was a cutting-edge psychedelic film director and a pioneer of “pop films” (the predecessor to music videos).

In 1963, Rockie and Peter had a son, Jeremy Gardiner, and Rockie left the publishing world to make more time for her family.

While living in Laurel Canyon in 1966, Rockie found her calling when she was introduced to astrology by a friend.

Tragically, Rockie was widowed in October 1968. She never remarried.

Rockie’s column, THE ROCKIE HOROSCOPE, first appeared in the L.A. Weekly in 1983.

Although she found her astrological calling years before, it was in the pages of the Weekly that she found her voice.

Her column’s pop-culture references to celebrity, rock & roll, politics and professional sports resonated with readers and brought her a cult status.

Rockie’s column went on to become nationally syndicated and even graced the pages of Vogue magazine.

She was one of a kind — fiercely intelligent, insightful, sometimes caustic, always witty, introspective and often inspiring.

She will be greatly missed, not just by her close-knit circle of family and friends, but also by so many of you, who connected with her through her column.

Rockie, recognizing how important that connection has been for many of you over the last 25 years, requested that a public memorial be held for her readers. (Details will be posted soon at laweekly.com.)

Rockie Gardiner was predeceased by Harry Greene and Bess Miller (parents), John Miller (brother), Linda Miller (sister) and Peter Gardiner (husband).

She leaves behind a son, Jeremy “The Crab” Gardiner (Los Angeles), Uncle Leo Marshall (Brooklyn), and Dr. David and Nancy Milstein of Scarsdale (sister and brother-in-law), as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, her partner-in-crime Vicky Taft (Los Angeles) ... and her black cat, Terra Kitty.