Russell L. Garrett

Russell Lynn Garrett passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on April 15th, 2026, surrounded by his family. Russell had just turned 71 a week prior and had battled dementia for many years.

Russell was born on April 8th, 1955, the oldest child and only son of Roy and Jackie Garrett. There are kids with energy, and there are kids with too much energy, and then there was Russell. If you blinked, you missed him. He was infused with all the best qualities of his parents. From Roy, a truck driver, he learned to be hard-working, patient, conscientious, loyal, and fair. From Jackie, a school teacher, he learned to be funny, lighthearted, outgoing, caring, and kind. He also spent his formative years working this his grandparents, Mama and Pap, at their family-owned shoe repair shop. Their influence on his life cannot be understated. At a young age he put his faith in Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He considered this to be his life’s most important decision. The gospel set the course for the rest of his life, for a race well run.

He had a passion for sports; baseball, basketball, soccer and he excelled at everything he tried. This passion, and a love for teaching, led him to pursue a degree in Physical Education at Bob Jones University with the goal of a career in coaching. Schoolwork however was not his passion, and he liked to joke that it only took him 5 years to complete his 4-year degree. God had other plans for Russell’s life however, and He set those plans in motion with a girl.

Beverly McCall was a schoolteacher, 3 years older than Russell, working just down the road at Hampton Park Christian School. The principal of that school happened to be Jackie Garrett. During weekly staff meetings, Jackie would dedicate a portion of that time to promoting her wonderful son. She knew she had a captive audience of mostly single, young women, and Russell needed some help, if we’re being honest. Bev loved to recall, fondly, how pathetic she thought all of this was, how she never wanted to meet this guy, who was so obviously a loser. But she did, and against her best efforts and intentions, she fell. This was a turning point for Russell. Bev was a serious woman, with goals for her life, and she demanded the same of him. He promised to shape up, and so he did, and he never looked back. They were married in October of 1978. He was a doting and dedicated husband, who knew he was truly out of his league, and reminded us often of that fact.

Upon graduation, Russell turned a college job on a loading dock into a job on the office side of the trucking business. This began a journey in the trucking industry that spanned his entire life. In 1981, Russell and Bev welcomed their first child, Aaron. Two years later Adam arrived, and 2 years after that, another boy, Will. The family followed Russell from Greenville, to Columbia, back to Greenville, to Winston-Salem. In 1986, Russell got a call, his company had filed for bankruptcy. As a young father of 3, there are few worse calls to receive. And in that moment of worry and uncertainty, God showed up. A company called from Columbia looking for people and they wanted to know about Russell’s staff. That call turned into an impromptu interview, and within a week Russell had accepted a new and better position with Southeastern Freight Lines. Not only that, but SEFL was owned and operated by Christian men, who infused biblical principles into their every-day business. Russell saw this as a clear sign of God’s providence in his life, and he told this story often.

His career with Southeastern spanned over 3 decades. His greatest joy was in mentoring and caring for the people in his department, and there are many who have expressed gratitude for his influence in their lives. He also held leadership roles in several regional and national trucking organizations. He retired from Southeastern in 2021.

As a husband and father he was fun, fair, attentive, and so very, very generous and kind. He was reliable, and thoughtful and more than anything else, he was there. His family joked, and sometimes lamented, that he had no real hobbies, because WE were his hobby. He was a purveyor of dad jokes, which he called “intelligent humor”. He was a gifted coach and spent hours helping us better ourselves on the field, or the court, of whatever we wanted to pursue. He was a gifted pianist, an overly competitive putt-putt player, and no one in history has ever loved to eat more than Russell. Above all he modeled Christ to his children. He led by example. He was slow to anger (unless you disrespected Mom) and he was quick to praise. His wisdom seemed effortless. His support of his boys had no expiration date or limitation. Well into adulthood, he was still there, present at every significant event, offering to help at every turn. He was overjoyed upon becoming a grandfather for the first time in 2013. Seven grandsons in total, and he delighted in each. His booming laugh and his strong hugs will be particularly missed by Ian, Weston, Alex, Elijah, Ty, Chet, and Ethan. You could search the whole world for a better father-in-law, but you’d fail. Maria, Keli, and Crystal will attest to this fact. He treated them better than daughters and took great joy in spoiling them whenever he could.

He was a serious man, who didn’t take himself that seriously. He saw his roles in life as God-given, and so he set out to do each of them to the best of his ability. Son, Brother, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Deacon, Youth Leader, Sunday School Teacher, Trucking Company Executive, Baseball Coach, whatever it was, he gave it his all. But he did all the above with grace and humility. He was keenly aware that he wasn’t perfect and he was the first to laugh at himself or acknowledge his own shortcomings. This endeared him to everyone he met.

Dementia is a cruel disease. It is a terrible thing to watch the essence of a man you love slowly drain away. But God is good, all the time. Even as Russell succumbed slowly to the disease, many of his best qualities remained in wonderful ways. He was gracious and kind to anyone who cared for him. He was quick to express gratitude and love. He looked for ways to help those around him, even after he’d lost the ability to do so. It was an honor to care for him. Though his mind and body ultimately failed, his faith never did, and we rest in the assurance that his mind and body are made new in the presence of his Lord and Savior.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 1:00 pm at Morningside Baptist Church, 1115 Pelham Rd, Greenville, SC 29615.