Garnette Skinner Dupont

Garnette Skinner Dupont (Age 99), a devoted and loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away on August 4, 2022 at Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg, Virginia, after a years-long battle with Alzheimer's. She was born on March 28, 1923 in Goldfield, Iowa. She graduated from Goldfield High School and attended AIB Business College in Des Moines. In 1942, she joined the war effort and accepted a position as a civilian teletype operator for the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Washington, DC. While working at the Pentagon, she met Harvey Dupont and they were married in 1957. They had one son, Rusty. Garnette later worked at the David Taylor Naval Research and Development Center and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. After retiring from the government, she worked for the Army Navy Country Club and HFSI. She loved to be around people and kept working into her 70s to keep up those personal connections. Nothing other than her faith was as important to Garnette as her family. Her beloved husband was taken from her too early, after 19 years of marriage in 1976. She was very close to her son Rusty, daughter-in-law Ann and only grandchild, Chaney, who arrived late in her life but was showered with love and presents from her Grammy. She also remained close with her brother and sister and their families. She saved hundreds of cards and letters they exchanged over the years. She was a longtime member of Charles Wesley UMC in McLean, VA. She sang soprano in the choir for many years, taught Sunday School, served as a Circle leader and president of the United Methodist Women. She was also active in the American Legion Auxiliary, serving in various officer positions. She discovered a passion for travel when visiting Rusty and Ann in Germany in 1989 and later enjoyed trips to Alaska, Hawaii and Germany with a group of fellow church members. Garnette was known for her cooking and sometimes received special requests for particular dishes when a potluck meal or special event was coming up. She loved to dress up for any occasion and impressed family, friends and strangers by dancing at her 90th birthday party while cruising on the Potomac River. She enjoyed a good joke and loved to laugh. She was always proud of her Iowa roots, and although her memory began to fail her, songs about Iowa were one of the last memories she maintained and she could often be heard whistling and singing about Iowa. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Roland and Nellie Skinner, and her sister and brother-in-law, Cleo and Bill Hough. She is survived by her son, Rusty Dupont, daughter-in-law Ann, and granddaughter Chaney. She is also survived by her brother Joe Skinner, sister-in-law Phyllis Skinner, and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. The family wishes to thank the staff of Sunrise Assisted Living in McLean, VA, Warm Hearth Village in Blacksburg, VA, and Medi Hospice for their loving care of Garnette. The funeral service will be held on Thursday, August 18, at 1:00 pm at Wesley UMC, 711 Spring St. SE, Vienna, VA, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer's Association or Wesley UMC in Vienna, VA.