Shirley Johnston LaGarde

Shirley Johnston LaGarde, of 102 River Oaks Road, Greer passed away March 16, 2020. A private family service will be held. Out of concern for the health and well-being of the community that she loved, the family respectfully requests no visitation at this time.

Born in Wilson, NC on February 15, 1931, she was the daughter of Phoebe Banks and George Pierson Johnston.

After graduating from New Bern High School and Hardbarger Business College in Raleigh, NC, she worked as an executive secretary in Raleigh before and for several years after her marriage in 1954 to Duncan Robert LaGarde. In 1958 Greenville became home to her, her husband and her one son. In Greenville she became the mother of three more children, a homemaker and volunteer.

She was active in Scout activities serving as den mother for several years, in garden clubs and taught Sunday school at Buncombe Street Methodist Church. She organized Spring Forest Garden Club, The Couples Garden Club and junior clubs Wee Gardeners and The Wilsonettes. She was a member of Greenville Garden Club and Clarice Wilson Garden Club, of which she was the second oldest member. She was named Woman of The Year by both clubs several times and served as President of both clubs. She was the author of two books on the Clarice Wilson Garden Club history for which she won a National Garden Club award. She was active in The Greenville Council of Garden Clubs 1966 to 1985 and was named Woman of The Year in 1972. She served on the Garden Club of South Carolina Board from 1971 until her death and served as State President 1985-87. She was a Nationally Accredited Flower Show Master Judge and served the Nationally Accredited Judges Club of SC as its president from 1979-81. She served for several terms on the South Atlantic Region Board of National Garden Clubs and as parliamentarian 2005-2007. She was known for growing Oconee Bell for which she received the DAR Conservation Medal. National Wildlife Magazine published an article on her backyard wildlife habitat.

Her special interests were creative flower arranging, filming hummingbirds in her yard which she shared with garden clubs across the state, and reading. Genealogy was a favorite hobby of hers and she published three books on her family history and one book on her husband’s LaGarde family history.

She was also a member of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, The Greenville Woman’s Club, Colonial Dames – John Boswell Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution – Nathanael Greene Chapter, Chapter 51 of United Daughters of the Confederacy.

She was predeceased in death by her husband, Duncan Robert “Sonny” LaGarde, brothers Herbert Lee Johnston of Florida and George Pierson Johnston, Jr. of North Carolina and sisters, Grace Johnston Devers of Michigan and Beverly Johnston Lupton of New Bern, NC. She is survived by sons Robert Glenn LaGarde of Sea Level, NC, and David Neil LaGarde and his wife Lori Blackwell LaGarde of Clayton, NC; daughters Lori LaGarde Weinstein and her husband Benjamin David Weinstein of Greenville and Linda LaGarde Bridges and her husband Elwyn Tomlinson Bridges of Atlanta, GA; grandchildren Erica LaGarde of Raleigh, NC, Wyeth LaGarde, Grace LaGarde, Wesley LaGarde of Kansas, Pierson Bridges Thornton and her husband John Persons Thornton, Jr. and Elwyn Bridges, Jr. of Atlanta, and great-grandchildren John Persons Thornton III and Charlotte Marie Thornton of Atlanta, numerous nieces and nephews and her constant companion, her King Charles Spaniel, Ellie.

Her motto in all her club work and civic beautification projects was “We pass this way but once. Let us beautify the path as we go so others may see which way we went.”

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to beautification or conservation efforts to The Nature Conservancy, 801 Gervais Street, Suite 202, Columbia, SC 29201,The SC Wildlife Federation, 455 St. Andrews Road, Suite B1, Columbia, SC 29210, Upstate Forever, 507 Pettigru Street, Greenville, SC 29601 or Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, PO Box 1988, Greenville, SC 29602.