Richard Steven Garner

Rick, as he was affectionately known by family and friends, was born on August 15, 1948, in Kosciusko, Mississippi, to John Dextral Garner and Velma Ruth Taylor. He never met a stranger, only friends he hadn’t yet laughed with. His humor was quick, his presence magnetic, and his life, anything but ordinary.

On July 24, 1977, he met Candace Elaine Johnson, the greatest love of his life. Rick & Elaine married on January 24, 1980, building a life rich in love, raising a daughter, and later delighting in the joy of two grandsons who carry his legacy forward.

Rick graduated from Provine High School in 1966 and from Auburn University in 1971, where he studied Architecture and Building Construction. At Auburn, he wasn’t just a student, he was a force! A proud member of Delta Sigma Phi, President of his pledge class, and lead guitarist in the fraternity band, he lived with rhythm, leadership, and a deep love for the Auburn spirit. “War Eagle” wasn’t just a phrase, it was part of his identity.

Rick was a lifelong entrepreneur, always building, & always creating. In 1978, he founded Rick Garner Designer and Premier Homes. Over the next five decades, he designed and built homes for thousands of families across the Jackson metro area, throughout the country, and into Canada. Entire neighborhoods stand as a quiet testament to his vision, places where families gather, grow, and make a life. Throughout the years, he also contributed to the design and development of commercial properties across the Jackson metro area.

But Rick wasn’t built to live in just one world.

Music was his passion, one of the places he felt most alive and most himself. He began playing guitar in college and went on to play in bands on and off throughout his life, always ready to pick up a guitar, jam, and share it with others. He wrote songs, played with heart, and followed inspiration wherever it led.

In 1982, he founded Terminal Recording Studios in Pearl, Mississippi, bringing his love of music into a space where others could create and be heard. By 1996, he had custom designed and built a state-of-the-art studio in Ridgeland, Mississippi, expanding that vision even further. He also founded the gospel record label, Burning Bush Records, reflecting both his passion for music and his heart behind it. One of his proudest moments came in 2001, when he was part of the Grammy Award-winning Album of the Year soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou. For Rick, music was never just a pastime, it was a lifelong expression of who he was.

And then there was history.

Rick had a deep and enduring passion for Civil War research, an intellectual and personal pursuit that carried him across battlefields, into archives, and through the pages of time. He didn’t just study history, he walked it. With his wife by his side, he traveled to historic sites, bringing the past to life through storytelling and quiet reverence. He was a published author and was actively writing on The Battle of Chancellorsville at the time of his passing.

Rick also gave generously to the preservation of history, contributing thousands of books from his personal collection to support the library at the Brice’s Crossroads Foundation. His love of knowledge was expansive, and he shared it freely.

In quieter moments, Rick found discipline and strength through martial arts, earning a first Dan Black Belt in Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do, another reflection of his depth, focus, and drive.

He lived fully. He built boldly. He loved deeply.

Rick is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Janice Elaine Garner Harvey.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 46 years, Candace Elaine Garner; his daughter, Elizabeth Ashley Garner Drake and her husband, Jason Laverne Drake; and his two grandsons, Richard William Garner Mainka and Lucian Alexander Drake, each a continuation of his story, his spirit, and his name.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

In honor of Rick’s generous and expansive life, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a charity of your choice or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.