Jim Garvey accomplished two things before passing away last week: the first was to make sure his children said their good byes; secondly, that his wife of 70 years who passed away almost a year to the day had enough time to arrange paradise for his arrival.
Their courtship and later marriage took a circuitous route that was interrupted by World War II. He was stricken with yellow jaundice and malaria in Mindanao, Philippines and after the war was sent to a military hospital on the outskirts of St. Louis. It was there that his young bride nursed him back to health.
Our father was a raconteur who seemed to be related to everyone he met. He didn't forget a name or a face and recalled acquaintances and friendships from 60 or 70 years past. He mesmerized us with his travels aboard the Great Northern as he hopped trains from St. Paul heading west through the Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana. That same Great Northern provided an extra benefit to the Garvey household as it dropped coal along the tracks that was bagged and burned for heat during the harsh winter months. He was the oldest son of six children born to Mike and Bertha (Richter) Garvey. She from a German (Bohn) farming family in Winona, Minnesota and he from a hardworking Irish family from St. Paul. His grandfather emigrated from Headford, Ireland in County Galway in the 1860's.
The first of many fond memories of our father was as a coach of a hockey team in Duluth that played under the lights in below freezing weather.
With 8 children there were always problems to tackle. Whether it was broken appliances, broken hearts, broken cars and broken furniture plus private and public schools that were long on discipline and short on patience, our parents were always up to the challenge.
Those experiences of working together as a family unit which stressed teamwork, patience and communication left us children with a granite solid foundation that was chiseled into each of us and is being passed to future generations.
Jim is survived by his children Pat (Julie), Liz, Mike, Paul (Lynn), Bernadette (Dan Burns), Mary (Mike Pierce), Joe and Monica (Pat Huyck); his brothers Tom, John and Mike, his sister Margaret and 20 grandchildren and their spouses; Sean (Lindsay, Graham, Sabine); Joe; Brooke (Michael and Roman St. Germaine); Shannon; Genevieve and Matt Garvey; Scott and Jessica Garvey; Ben (Kat Tsukamaki, Alexander and Lukas); Jason (Rachael, Kai, Teo and Malia Tsukamaki); Nick (Anna, Agnasi Tsukamaki); Patrick Tsukamaki; Katie, and James Pierce; Jake Garvey; Adam and Cara Huyck. Heartfelt thanks for his friends and caregivers Cristina, Lorraine, Joy and Francis. Hospice was a beautiful presence. Donations should be sent to Sacred Heart Nativity Schools, 310 Edwards Ave., San Jose, CA 95110 and Martha's Kitchen, 311 Willow Street, San Jose, CA 95110. The rosary will be held at 7pm Jan 26 at St. Clare's Catholic Church, 941 Lexington St., Santa Clara. A Mass will be celebrated the following morning at 10am at St. Clare's. Internment will follow in Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. -
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