John S. Garing

We are saddened to announce the passing of Dr. John S. Garing on August 20, 2023. John was born in Toledo, Ohio on November 6, 1930.

He is survived by his brother Harry Garing Jr.; his son John D. Garing and wife Janice Hill; his daughter Susan Garing and husband Robert Grajewski; two grandchildren and one great-grandson.

He was preceded in death by his wife Ione Davis Garing and by his parents, Harry Raymond Garing and Catherine Gomer Garing.

While a senior at Columbus High School in Ohio, a young woman named Ione Davis asked for help in their physics class. It seems John was good at physics and a capable tutor. John and Ione were married five years later, sharing a rich and full life together for 71 years.

In 1951 John completed his undergraduate degree from Ohio State University. He continued in graduate work and entered Air Force ROTC. John was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force in September 1953 and he was assigned to stay in graduate school at Ohio State University. During his graduate work, John was assigned to the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory (AFCRL) in Boston, Mass. Following his discharge from the Air Force as a 1st Lieutenant in 1957, John returned to Ohio State and completed his Ph.D. degree in Physics with a focus in Molecular Spectroscopy. Following the completion of his Ph.D. in 1958, John accepted a permanent position with AFCRL at Hanscom Airbase in Bedford, Mass.

After a successful career, John retired in 1986 as a federal senior executive and Director of the Optical Physics Division, AFCRL. John contributed articles to professional journals, he was a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, belonged to AAAS, Sigma Xi, Phi Beta Kappa, and several more honorary and professional societies.

John and Ione lived in Lexington, Mass. for 52 years until they moved to Kirkwood, N.Y. to live with their daughter Susan.

Throughout his life John readily donated his time and organizational skills. From the Lexington Boy Scouts to the Lexington Conservation Gardens, he was active in the community around him. He also supported Ione in her many community and church involvements. Ione and John’s hobbies of gardening, birdwatching and mineral collecting led to their active involvement in the Lexington Field and Garden Club, the North Shore Rock & Mineral Club, the Brookline Bird Club, the Minute Man National Park Association, and many other local organizations.

He was a quiet but remarkable man, respected by all who knew him. Not outspoken, but when he said something, it was usually important. He passed on his curiosity and love of learning to his children and grandchildren, whom he supported in all their endeavors whether it was flying planes or living overseas. We’ll miss you, Dad.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Please consider a memorial donation in memory of John to a charity of your choice.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to Lourdes Hospice for John’s compassionate care at home.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.WmRChase.com for the Garing family.