Donald Wayne Garland III

Donny was born September 5, 1990 in Fairfax, VA to his mother, Laurie Foren Scarth and father, Donald Garland Jr. Donny was a beautiful blessing to all who knew him. He literally would light up a room with his presence and smile. He was a fun, kind, and compassionate young man who loved people and didn’t know a stranger. He was strong, courageous, and loyal to a fault and loved his family and friends immensely. He truly loved life, had a great sense of humor, and appreciated everything he was blessed with.

Donny was a smart & artistic young man. He didn’t have to study to get good grades like most. He had some college credits, but was currently working as a painter and carpenter for his stepfather’s home improvement company. He was known for his work ethic and commitment to every project he was involved in. His freehand drawing ability was an amazing natural talent and he had recently been talking about pursuing some type of career that would develop and utilize his ability in this area.

Donny was also very athletic and enjoyed watching and playing sports. As a child he participated in numerous sports (soccer, basketball, & baseball) teams through his church, the YMCA, and DreamSports Center. He embraced being part of a team. In middle school and as a young teen he still enjoyed playing sports recreationally, but fell in love with skateboarding. He was also a certified TaeKwonDo black belt. In recent years he continued to enjoy being active physically and took up water sports such as surfing, water skiing, and fishing. He welcomed new adventures and was always eager to learn something new.

Donny was musically talented and participated in a band with friends where he sang and wrote lyrics to new songs they were creating. They had performed at a few venues in Raleigh and enjoyed that success.

Most importantly, Donny had his strong faith in God that he leaned on, particularly during difficult times. Donny accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior at age 8. He was such a consciences child and somewhat of a perfectionist that he felt the need to repeat his prayer of salvation a few times just to make sure he said everything exactly the way he wanted. He didn’t want to forget anything even though he was reassured repeatedly that from the moment he believed and desired to be saved his name was written in ‘The Lambs Book of Life’. As a child he participated in AWANA, and once a young teen he participated in youth group and had many friends. He even volunteered one summer to help with the younger children at Bible School. The children adored him! Throughout his life his faith in God was apparent to those who were close to him. We have great comfort knowing he is with his Lord and Savior in heaven celebrating his new wholeness physically and praising the God of his salvation. We will look forward to being reunited again one day. Donny was truly a light in this world that was taken from us all too soon and he will be missed more than words can express!

He is lovingly remembered by his mother & stepfather, Laurie & William Scarth; father, Donald Garland Jr.; sister, Brittany Lynn Bolus; brothers, Tyler Wayne Deem & Joseph Allen Garland; step-brothers, Dylan Alexander Scarth & William Lee Scarth; grandparents, Wayne & Marge Foren; and grandmother, Lillie Louise Jones.

A private “Celebration of Life” Service will be planned for a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial contributions in honor of Donny to one or both non-profit organizations below:

The Brain Injury Foundation (Because it actually is a matter of life and death)

Send check or money order to:

P.O. Box 100

Merion Station, PA 19066

URL: braininjuryfoundation.org

Herren Project (Together, we can support, inspire and empower those affected by substance use disorder)

Send check or money order to:

PO Box 131

Portsmouth, RI 02871

URL: herrenproject.org

Condolences can be shared at apexfuneral.net