Patricia Ann Garrett

We announce the passing of our beloved wife, mother, grandma, and friend, Patricia Ann Garrett, known to many as Pat. Pat was age 80, a resident of Longmont, Colorado, and she passed away on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

Pat was born in Cook County Hospital in Chicago, to Gerald and Mary Hayes. She was an only child, but grew up with many cousins, aunts, and uncles who cared for her deeply. In addition to her parents, her Aunt Dorothy and Aunt Mayme played a significant role as she grew into a young lady in Speedway, Indiana. As a child, she loved to attend the Indianapolis 500 each year. She graduated from Ben Davis High School in Speedway.

In the summer of 1958 Pat met the love of her life, H. Wayne Garrett Sr., who was in the Air Force, stationed in Indianapolis. Wayne referred to her as “honey” or “Trish.” They met at the Westlake Swimming area, and after she stood Wayne up on Friday night, they began dating the following day. As a young woman she loved to polka with her father, roller-skate, and Pepsi (it was the punch at her wedding). They were married in March of 1959 at Speedway Christian Church.

Wayne and Pat moved to several states during the early part of their marriage with job transfers. While in Idaho, they had their first child, H. Wayne Garrett Jr. After discharge from the Air Force, Wayne began a career at the FAA in 1961, and eventually they settled in Longmont in 1963. They joined the First Christian Church (FCC) / Lifebridge Christian Church (LCC), and throughout their lives were committed to the faith, service, fellowship, and friendship they found here. A year later, they had their second son, Matthew D. Garrett. In 1966-1967, the family moved to Wake Island, in the western Pacific Ocean, for work. Pat, Wayne, and the boys survived Super Typhoon Sarah, and they enjoyed visiting Honolulu, Guam, and the Marshall Islands. After returning to Longmont, they added their daughter, Paige A. Gordon to the family.

Pat was a committed and loving mother and wife. As her three children grew up, she was a stay-at-home mother. Outside of the house she worked at various retail stores and was involved in the start-up of two Longmont businesses. She was a terrific cook, except for when she went through a period of time where she cooked liver and onions, as a part of her Weight-Watchers phase. She was known for her hospitality during holiday meals, picnics, and special events, and the home was always the center of family life. She loved to decorate for holidays, especially Christmas. She had a sharp sense of humor and was known to insert punch-lines at just-the-right-moment. She was patriotic and often could be seen bedazzled in flag shirts and red-white-and-blue jewelry. She was a loyal friend who loved morning swim dates, rides in Corvettes, lunches and shopping, and canning jams and jellies in Oregon with her girlfriends. She was a woman of faithfulness, commitment, and devotion to her husband. As a grandmother she was generous in spoiling her grandchildren with time spent together, undivided attention, adventures, and unconditional love throughout all of life’s ups and downs.

Pat enjoyed traveling internationally and together with Wayne and friends; they traveled to 49 US states. Many of her friends went with her and Wayne to places like Hawaii, Alaska, Israel, Egypt, Scotland, and England. She served at church in various capacities -- loving on babies, cooking at Camp Como, teaching Sunday school, in Christmas programs, singing in the choir, and in events with the women’s ministry. She participated in the Bible Study Fellowship and was devoted to her friends from her senior Sunday school class and her Thursday afternoon bible study group. Her mutual commitment to Christ was the life-blood of her marriage to Wayne; she was blessed to have so many friends in Longmont and from around the country who shared in this faith. She also served as a volunteer at Longmont United Hospital; she was a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), Longmont Chapter FD. Pat was active in the Boulder County GOP.

Pat is survived by her doting husband, Wayne, of Longmont. She is also survived by three children: H. Wayne Garrett Jr (Julie) of Longmont, Matthew D. Garrett (Aimee) of Longmont, and Paige A. Gordon (John) of Longmont. She is survived by 10 grandchildren: Rachel, Heather, Taylor (Jimmy), Austin (Bailey), Anya (Matt), Oksana, Vlad, Jasmine, Haley (Tristen), and Gianna. She also survived by 5 great-grandchildren: Ezrah, Nyla, Syles, Finn, and Jaiden. She is survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins from Indiana. She is also survived by special friends and neighbors, as she had a special way of inviting people into her life and treating them as family.

True love is blessed and beautiful, giving and growing, faith-filled and forever, and Pat shared this with Wayne the last 62 years. Proverbs 31:10-31, “An excellent wife who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her… Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also.” Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.”

A viewing will be held in the lobby of Lifebridge Christian Church on Thursday, May 20, 2021, at 10:00 am, at Lifebridge Christian Church, in Longmont, with at 11:00 am at the same location, and a reception following the service. Interment will be at the Garrett Family Cemetery in Rose Hill, Virginia. Memorial donations can be made to Lifebridge Christian Church or PEO Longmont Chapter FD.