Kenneth L. Garrett

Ken was born and raised in Iowa and lived in several small towns where his dad, Kenneth, was a grocery store manager and his mother, Marian, was a nurse. His brother, Craig, was born when he was five years old. In his youth, Ken participated in the Ground Observer Corps and the Boy Scouts. He graduated from Colfax High School in 1960.

Ken began his AT&T career in 1964 upon graduation from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. His first job was as a transmission supervisor for Long Lines in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During this time, Ken was introduced by his grandmother to the love of his life Kathy Garrett (formerly Buysse) in 1965. It was a whirlwind romance and they married later that same year. Their daughter, Karen, was born in 1969 followed by daughter, Kris, in 1971.

Ken went on to hold positions of increasing responsibility in operations, sales and engineering. From 1974-1975, he attended the Sloan Fellows Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned a Master of Science in Management. He became an AT&T officer in 1981 and was appointed Senior Vice President of the Network Services Division in 1989.  He balanced his extraordinary work ethic with time spent relaxing at the family vacation home on Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland.

Ken made a real difference in every job he held. His commitment to AT&T was unwavering despite being transferred across multiple states including Kansas, Ohio, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia. After 30 years of service, Ken retired from AT&T in 1994 and moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. Not one to be idle, he founded his own consulting firm and joined Investors Roundtable. He traveled the world with Kathy and their many friends, including a particularly memorable safari trip in Africa.

Ken was a philanthropist who contributed his time and talents to organizations such as Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, UNCW Cameron Executive Network, Thalian Association, and community HOAs. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon and volunteered with the Grandparents’ Support Network, Good Shepherd Center, and on a humanitarian trip to Haiti. He was an enthusiastic Iowa State alumnus funding both a scholarship and research lab in his name.

Ken was a loving and faithful husband who put his family first. He took great pride in his two strong and resilient daughters and always showed up for visits with his toolbox in hand, ready to help. He could often be heard asking them, “How can I make your life better today?” and telling them “Be good, be safe, be careful” every time they parted. He also had a close relationship with his son-in-law, Jeff, with whom he enjoyed watching Iowa State games, golfing, and biking. It brought him tremendous joy when they all moved to Wilmington in 2021.

He was a devoted grandpa/papa to his four grandchildren. He cherished time spent with them on family vacations and was a constant presence in their lives. One of his greatest legacies is the generous investment he made in their college educations. His home office was a popular spot where they could always find a full jar of jellybeans on his desk.

Ken is preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Marian Garrett, and brother, Craig Garrett. He is survived by his loving family: wife Kathy Garrett of 57 years, daughters Karen Garrett and Kris Jarrett, son-in-law Jeff Jarrett, grandsons Camden and Braden Wiseman, granddaughters Alyssa and Lindsey Jarrett, and sister-in-law Kendra Garrett.

Ken will be remembered for his deep love of family, tenacious approach to any task, humor and charismatic personality, and the impact he had in the community. A celebration of life will be held in June. In lieu of flowers or gifts, memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, North Carolina or The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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