June Harrison Garrett

Born in Nashville on September 30, 1923 to Ralph and Mildred Harrison, June graduated from West End High School. She also graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt, she majored in Literature and eagerly studied with professor and poet Donald Davidson. She was an Alpha Omicron Pi there, as was her sister Carolyn.

June then joined American Airlines. While at American, she travelled extensively across North America from her home bases of New York City, Los Angeles and Mexico City.

June was a lifelong Episcopalian and an initial congregant of St. George’s Church, 75 years ago. In 1952, June was a bridesmaid in her cousin’s wedding at St. George’s. There she met Sam Young Garrett, M.D., a University of Tennessee Knoxville graduate and a Harvard Medical School surgeon who was in private practice. He also enjoyed teaching at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery. Their marriage ended only upon his passing away in his sleep in 1996.

Family, friends, and acquaintances long enjoyed her sense of humor, politesse, erudition, perspicacity, and honesty. She loved classical music and English literature. She also knew many works of Ancient Classical Greek and Renaissance art.

Bearing those qualities, she made valuable contributions as a member of Centennial Club, Cheekwood, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, Daughters of the American Revolution, The Garden Club of Nashville, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, and the Tennessee Historical Society. As a Swan Ball production committee member, she relished creating large paintings for display at and attended Swan Ball.

She won numerous awards for her flower arrangements, exhibited her oil paintings in citywide shows and wrote elegant poetry which she rarely shared.

June perpetually pursued genealogical research on both sides of the family, going back several generations. One family account that moved her involved her ancestor General Reuben Ross. A cadet at West Point in the 1850s, Ross set the cadet record for tardiness demerits. To the exasperated drill captain one afternoon, Ross explained, “I’m sorry sir, but I was working on my landscape painting, and the sunset over the Hudson was perfect.” This true story appealed to June’s deep, gentle sense of humor and her compassion for the human condition.

June was an avid fan of professional tennis and also followed SEC football and basketball. She expected one to be up to date on the latest score as well as the next contest. June is also pictured here in May of 2022.

June was predeceased by her husband Sam, their daughter Mary, her half-brother Ralph Harrison and her sister Carolyn Marrah. Carolyn passed away this spring at the age of 102 in Sacramento.

June is survived by her sons John Page (Sandy) of Brentwood, Rhea (Crystal) of Nashville and Sam Jr. (Lucy Matthews Garrett) of Dallas.

She is also survived by eight grandchildren, all Garretts: Grace and Anna Pearl of Brentwood, Caroline, Katherine and Laura Lee of Nashville and Gwendolyn, Sam III and Julia of Richmond, Dallas and Los Angeles respectively.

She is also survived by her nephew Richard Marrah of Sacramento and her nieces Margy Proctor of Nashville and Nancy Campo of Asheville.

Visitation will be at St. George’s Church at 10:00 a.m. on September 28, 2024, with the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. in the Nave.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cheekwood, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, St. George’s, Vanderbilt or other charity of choice.