Orlow Freeman Garrett

Orlow “Buzz” Garrett passed away peacefully at the Veteran’s Home of California in Chula Vista the evening of October 14, 2017 from heart-related problems at the age of 92 years. He is survived by three daughters, Gabrielle Garrett living in Scotts Valley, CA, Erin Lyles of San Diego, CA and Pamela Filipelli living in Ada, OK; three grandchildren, Sal Filipelli living in San Diego, CA, Andrea Wakeland living in Dallas, TX and Christopher Wakeland living in Scotts Valley, CA; former wife, Pauline “Paula” Rodke living in Ada, OK; and nephews Kevin Eckburg living in Yorba Linda, CA and Scott Hunzinger living in Federal Way, WA. Mr. Garrett was born in Burlington, Iowa. At the age of 17 he joined the U.S. Army, 3rd Infantry Division, 30th Regiment, serving from 1943 to 1945 in World War II as a rifleman, Private First Class, European Theatre. For his service he received two purple hearts, two bronze stars, the Presidential Unit Citation and French Croix de Guerre with palm. After returning from the War, Mr. Garrett attended college and graduated in 1951 with a Fine Arts Degree in Design from the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1956 he married fellow Kansas City Art Institute graduate, Pauline Rodke, and the two of them moved to San Diego, California to start their family. Mr. Garrett worked as a graphic artist at Convair aircraft manufacturing company and for most of his San Diego career as an art director with the Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC) in Point Loma. He was a very active and loving father. His marriage to Pauline Rodke ended in 1973 and he married Janice Whittier in 1983. Janice passed away in 2001. Her daughter, Debra Whittier, lives in San Diego. Mr. Garrett continued to live in San Diego until his move to the Veteran’s Home of California – Chula Vista in October 2014. On May 8, 2010 Mr. Garrett became a recipient of the French Legion of Honor Medal by the French Consulate General in Beverly Hills, CA giving him the title of “Sir” Orlow F. Garrett. Following this honor he was invited to throw the first pitch at a Padres baseball game on May 15, 2010 and was the Grand Marshall at the San Diego 4th of July parade in 2010. In early October 2016 Mr. Garrett was selected for a tour of war memorials in Washington D.C. with two of his daughters through the non-profit “Honor Flight – San Diego”. Mr. Garrett will be cremated and a military ceremony will be held for him at Miramar National Cemetery. There will be an open memorial service for him at the Veteran’s Home of Chula Vista, California on Monday, October 30th at 10:00 a.m. To remember Mr. Garrett the family requests donations to help military veterans or to help with Honor Flight expenses at www.honorflight.org or www.facebook.com/HonorFlightSanDiego/