YARMOUTH PORT, MASS. – Stephen H. Garner, III, an antiques dealer in Yarmouth Port, died unexpectedly on August 19 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. He was 52.

Born March 12, 1954, in Providence, R.I., he grew up in Attleboro, Mass., and was educated at the Hill School and Trinity College before attending Christie’s Fine Arts course in London.

Early in his career, Garner taught history at St Marks School in Southborough, Mass. There he met Westhampton, Mass., dealer John Hunt Marshall, a student at the time. They became friends, often staying together on the road when they traveled to antiques shows.

“Steve was an exceptionally caring person who always wanted to know how you were. He was extremely knowledgeable about furniture and especially loved Rhode Island things. He was old-school. Other dealers moved into more decorative lines, but Steve stayed true. He did a lot of business with some of the field’s top dealers,” Marshall remembered.

Garner served his apprenticeship at Valdemar F. Jacobsen Antiques, a prominent New York firm that for years exhibited at the Winter Antiques Show. After going into business for himself, Garner traveled widely, setting up at shows around the country.

“He was a good friend to so many in the dealer community and beyond,” said Marilyn Gould, organizer of the Wilton Antiques Shows.

“He was a dealer’s dealer. He liked to keep things simple. What I most remember are his personal qualities. He was the nicest, most positive person,” said Karen DiSaia, manager of the ADA-Historic Deerfield Antiques, where Garner planned to exhibit in October.

Garner’s last show was Barn Star Promotion’s Mid*Week in Manchester Antiques Show on August 9 and 10, just days before he suddenly fell ill. His display was vintage Steve Garner: no muss or fuss, just a choice two-drawer pine blanket chest of diminutive proportions, a set of robustly decorated New Hampshire side chairs, and a collection of jewel-toned Sandwich pulls. Sales were good and Garner, who suffered after the death of his wife in 2003, was animated and cheerful as he greeted customers.

Said Barn Star promoter Frank Gaglio, “Steve was one of my star dealers in that he knew New England furniture extremely well. His integrity was beyond reproach. He was a real gentleman who handled difficult circumstances with grace and understanding.”

Charles Adams, president of the Cape Cod Antiques Dealers Association and Garner’s neighbor, friend and colleague, said, “Steve was one of the Cape’s foremost dealers. His business ethics were top notch. But what I admired about him the most was his devotion to his son, Stephen H. Garner, IV. Steve will be sadly missed by all of his colleagues, not only on the Cape but throughout the antiques community.”

Steve Garner loved music and fly fishing, an interest he shared with his friend, Litchfield, Conn., dealer Jeffrey Tillou.

Besides his son, Steve Garner is survived by his mother, Elizabeth Garner Martin of East Orleans, Mass., and Vero Beach, Fla.; his sister, Linda Garner Kelly of Los Altos, Calif.; and his brothers David Deyo Garner of East Orleans, Mass., and William H. Garner of South Orleans, Mass.

Services took place August 23, at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans, Mass. Memorial donations can be made to the Arthritis Foundation, Attn: Contributions Services, PO Box 96280, Washington DC 20077, or to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline MA 02445.