Garrett Watson Woodard

August 30,1999 - February 16, 2023

A bright soul, brilliant mind, and adventurous spirit has left our physical presence. Garrett

Watson Woodard, 23, of Selma, North Carolina, took his life on February 16, 2023.

Garrett’s life was touched by all those who knew him, beginning with his early days at Wilson’s

Mills Elementary, the First Baptist Church After School Care, and Smithfield Middle School. His

circle of friends in the Smithfield Middle School Jazz Band and Smithfield Boy Scout Troop 77

inspired his taste for music, art, science, and adventure. He achieved Eagle Scout rank, and at

Johnston County Early College Academy, he earned two Associate Degrees. His attendance at

JCECA instilled a sense of confidence and set the standard for his academic achievement.

Selection for Governors School in 2016 introduced him to a wealth of academic scholars who

became lifelong friends.

Garrett attended Yale University in 2018. He was assigned to the Berkeley Residential College

where he met his global community of friends, who to this day, celebrate the person he was -

Genuine, Kindhearted, Curious, Artistic, Adventurous, Helpful, Musically Talented, Loyal,

Humble, and Loving. A senior earning his B.A. in architecture, Garrett was looking forward to

graduation in May. His last academic endeavor was his application to the Harvard Graduate

School of Design.

Garrett is preceded in death by his uncle, Donald Alan Watson, and his grandmother, Jody

Watson, both of Fayetteville, and his Aunt Teresa Carter, of Raleigh. Surviving members of his

family include his parents, Susan Watson and Paul Woodard of Selma, NC; sister, Marilee

Woodard of Asheville; grandparents, Bruce and Ann Woodard of Raleigh and James Watson of

Fayetteville. Other family members include Uncles Steve Watson and Mike Watson, Don

Woodard (Denise), Wilson Carter and Aunt Debbie Montigny (Rick). His beloved cousins include Steve

Watson (Francesca), Tara Herringdine, (Kenny), David Montigny, Jasper Watson, Colby

Herringdine, Peyton Watson, Matthew Woodard (Daphne), Aaron Woodard (Christiana), Jon

Woodard (Nicole), and Stuart Woodard (Mackenzie), Christopher Carter and Catherine Downey (Tim).

Garrett’s phenomenal ability to visualize and create art through 3D concepts, coding, and

virtual reality allowed him to constantly push his imagination to greater heights. He was

fascinated by and sought to challenge the realms of the human brain. He explored a wide

range of academic interests at Yale, such as printmaking, the biology of terrestrial arthropods,

3D modeling, drawing, astronomy, electronic instrument design, computer coding, and the

environmental biology of trees.

Through his architecture studies, Garrett was always able to uncover the hidden beauty of the

world. As someone who valued and learned from nature, he often focused on creating spaces

that protected the environment. His notable works included a geometric oyster farm designed

to increase mollusk biodiversity and a ‘Dominant Void’ project that celebrated the fullness of

space.

As a world traveler, Garrett spent the summer of 2019 in Bhutan, where he studied the ecology

of the Himalayan Forests. Garrett’s cross country travels in 2020 and 2021, with his friend and

companion, Saenah Boch, led him to experience the natural beauty of America. In 2020, he

worked with the American Conservation Experience in the Mojave Desert and Joshua Tree

National Park to protect wildlife species such as the Mojave Desert Tortoise. During the

summer of 2022, Garrett interned with Luckey Climbers, Inc. in New Haven, CT, assisting in the

design and construction of unique playground sets across the world.

With music in his DNA, Garrett played guitar, drums, trombone, bass, synthesizer, piano, and,

of course, more cowbell! He loved to play music with his friends and always encouraged

others to pursue their own musical talents. While at Yale, he especially enjoyed living at 216

Dwight Street in New Haven, Connecticut, infamously known as Radio Haus, where he spent

countless hours drumming in the basement and hosting jam sessions with his friends.

Garrett was so loved by all those he met with his infectious ‘glacier melting’ smile and gentle

mannerisms. He was always generous and polite, putting others before himself. He and his

friends enjoyed ski trips, playing music and video games, skateboarding, hiking, cooking,

making art, and simply hanging out together and supporting each other. Garrett expressed a

never-ending curiosity of the world around him. He was passionate about the possibility of

social and global change, and he believed in the value and purity of every living being.

He will always be remembered for his kind, caring heart and his love of nature and adventure.

“The true beauty of the human experience is the power to make it your own.”

– Garrett Watson Woodard, 2017

Condolences may be made online through McLaurin Funeral home. A Celebration of Life,

where friends and family can share memories and music, will be held on Sunday, March 12,

2023 at Brick and Mortar, 217 E. Main St., Clayton, NC from 1:30pm - 4:30pm.