Donald Garmon

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 P.M., Thursday, September 22, 2011 at Davison-Fulton Bartonville Chapel with a memorial service to begin at 7 P.M. Rev. Jill Flynn will officiate. Cremation will be accorded.

Mr. Garmon was born May 20, 1949 in Fairbury, Illinois to Clanis “Hebron” and Mary (Mosby) Garmon. He was the youngest of eleven children. His childhood years were spent growing up on a farm in the rural areas of Hoopeston/Rossville, IL. He married Linda Sue Brooks from Ottawa, IL on August 28, 1971. They recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

Surviving are his wife, Linda; daughter, Megan (Robert) Miller of Prescott Valley, AZ; and son, Gregory (Melissa-fiancé) of Bartonville, IL; He is also survived by five sisters and one brother; Ruby (Glen) Benway of Washington, Virginia (Tom) O’Connor of Joliet, Geneva (Kenneth) Dancy and Sandra (Don) Wilson of Bismarck, Judy Willis of Danville, and fraternal twin brother Ronald Garmon of Tilton.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Dorothy (George) Perkins of Rossville, Nina (Walt) Flessner of Roberts, Shelby (Hank) Aquino of Rossville; and one brother, Ray Garmon of Rossville.

Don graduated from Rossville High School and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University. He was inducted into Phi Delta Kappa and Phi Epsilon Kappa professional education fraternities. He also was a founding father of the Eta Mu chapter of Sigma Chi social fraternity at EIU. As a responsibility of his graduate assistantship, Don was Assistant Principal at the Buzzard Laboratory School, located on campus.

Don taught junior high science/health at Bartonville Grade School (1973-1980) and Creve Coeur School District 76 (1980-1993). He coached several athletic teams. He left education briefly in 1980 to work at Caterpillar Tractor Company. From 1993 until his retirement in 2006, Don served as an elementary principal/curriculum director/grant writer at Homewood Heights and LaSalle Schools in Creve Coeur School District 76.

Don was a member of St. Peters Lutheran Church near Glasford. He greatly enjoyed being the Illini Bluffs High School Bass Club sponsor/coach and working with the students and parents of the district. His high school bass club blog was featured on the IHSA website, “The Future Fishes Here”.

Don was dedicated to his family and enjoyed many wonderful friends. He will be remembered for his warm smile, sense of humor, and his dedication as an educator. He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid fisherman. He had many interests including wood working, wood carving, shooting/hunting, and art glass.

Don had multiple battles with bone cancer, starting back in 1988 and continuing until his death in 2011 from metastatic lung cancer. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the St. Jude Research, the American Cancer Association, or Jill’s House in Bloomington, IN.

Online tributes and condolences may be made at www.davison-fulton\bartonvillechapel.com.