Philip Anthony Garrity, of Manchester Township, NJ, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 23, 2021, surrounded by loved ones. He was 84 years old. He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Mary (née Tarrant), and his five children; Christopher Brendan, Mary Ellen, Dennis Patrick, Timothy John, and Matthew Robert. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Annalee, Christopher, Shannon, Lauren, Chloé, Jake, Devin, Sioban, and Donovan.
Phil was born in Bloomfield, NJ, and grew up in Bloomfield and Montclair. He graduated from Montclair High School in 1954. He served honorably in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 as a Private in postwar Germany. He worked at the Ford Motor Company as a welder in Mahwah, NJ, for 25 years and had been happily retired for more than 20 years.
Phil moved his young family to Pompton Lakes, NJ in 1966. He soon became very involved at St. Mary’s parish. Phil volunteered quietly, humbly, and tirelessly, administering to the sick, feeding the less fortunate, and bringing communion to the shut-in and invalid community. Phil was a grateful member of AA for more than 55 years. He was dedicated to the simple principles of the program in his daily life, one day at a time. He was a living example of sober living. Phil was always thankful for the help he received and returned it by always having his hand out to welcome newcomers into the fellowship.Phil had a great sense of humor and a penchant for one-liners. He loved the old Bob and Ray comedy team and was known to laugh out loud at The Honeymooners reruns. He was also a very well read man, becoming a self-taught expert on World Wars l and II. As a child, Phil became a big fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers. When they left for Los Angeles, he couldn’t bring himself to root for that other New York team. When the New York Mets were formed in 1962, he became an avid fan. He often apologized to his family over the years for bringing them up as Mets fans, but he seemed happy with the direction of the team as of late. Phil loved watching his children participate in various sports. His oft-stated wish to his family was that “no one should miss any sporting events for my funeral.” Cremation was held privately. The family will visit with friends on Thursday, January 28th from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at The Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home, 3010 Ridgeway Rd., Manchester. In lieu of flowers Phil would have appreciated a donation to Franciscan Bread for the Poor (stfrancisbreadline.org).
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