William John Kieran Garvey

July 27, 1934 – May 20, 2012

You may have known him as Kieran or Bill. Either way, he was the same extraordinary man.

He was the son of, and predeceased by John (Jack) and Anne Garvey of Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland. Kieran is survived by his beautiful and loving wife of 46 years, Marjorie Goldie Garvey, his daughter, Valarie Garvey Keane, his son-in-law, Michael Keane, and his grandson, John (Johnny) Keane of Charlotte, North Carolina, his brother, Brendan, and sister-in-law, Anne, of Ballina, his nephew, Stephen, of Dublin, and his nephew, Derek, of Galway. Tragically, Kieran was predeceased by his infant son, John (Jack), and his youngest son, James, in 2007.

Kieran grew up over Garvey’s Bakery in Ballina, which was begun in 1886 by his grandfather, John Garvey. This renowned bakery was then passed to his father, Jack, and then finally to his brother, Brendan, who closed the shop upon retirement. He immigrated to the United States and was drafted into the United States Army, where he happily served two years in the Army Corps of Engineers in Germany. Bill had a long career with the telephone company in New York, beginning with “Ma” Bell, and retiring from Verizon as a Power Technician. Kieran and Margie made their home in Mahopac, New York, until they moved to Monroe, North Carolina, to live with their daughter, Valarie and her husband, Michael. Recently, Bill enjoyed many computer classes at the Levine Senior Center in Matthews, North Carolina. It has been said, and it is certainly true, that Kieran had an encyclopedic knowledge of Ballina and should have written a book. He knew so many people and their families and enjoyed reminiscing about all of them. Family and friends alike know him as generous, brilliant, logical, loving, reliable, faithful, and always a gentleman. In his youth, he loved to fish and camp. He always enjoyed good music and good movies, constructing our family tree, and reading, reading, reading.

To say that William John Kieran Garvey was loved is the greatest thing that can be said of anyone. To say he will be missed doesn’t really convey how deeply we all feel this loss.

The family will receive family and friends on Monday, May 28, from 2 to 4pm at McEwen Funeral Service, Mint Hill Chapel, 7428 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. The Funeral Mass will be on Tuesday, May 29, at 12 noon at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte.

Condolences may be offered at www.mcewenminthillchapel.com.