Ridgeland, MS – A wonderful father, grandfather, great grandfather, and great great grandfather, William Garbo was reunited in eternal rest with the love of his life for more than 70 years, Patricia Louise Garbo on January 26, 2019. His favorite saying was “the best is yet to come.” He was 94 years old and was born in Laurel, MS, on November 10, 1924. At the age of 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army right out of High School. After stateside training, he was shipped to the South Pacific as a member of the 26th War Dog Platoon. While conducting combat operations with the platoon in New Guinea, he was transferred to the 112th Calvary RCT with the rank of Sergeant, leading a machine gun squad, following combat operations in New Guinea; he made the landings at Leyte and Luzon, earning two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart along the way.
He always said that joining up and going overseas was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him, since he met his future wife, Patricia, while training war dogs in California before shipping out. His life was full of accomplishments and adventure, which ranged from finishing his college degree in Landscape Architecture while in his 40’s, and skiing and horse packing out west in his 60’s and 70’s. He was an extremely talented artist, which came in handy as he developed his nationally renowned reputation as a designer and restorer of historic antebellum gardens and grounds. He designed and restored many of the old homes and grounds that are on the Natchez Pilgrimage Tour, plus the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion.
He is survived by his four children, Bill Jr. (Carol) of Ridgeland, Suzanne Garbo Singletary of Jackson, John (Candon) of Madison, and Tina Bailey (Victor) of Rancho Viejo, TX. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. We all love him and will miss him greatly.
Visitation will be from 9:30-10:30 AM on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Parkway Funeral Home, 1161 Highland Colony Pkwy., Ridgeland, MS. The service at Parkway will follow at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Department of Landscape Architecture, Mississippi State University, by the way of the MSU Scholarship Foundation.
