Ray T. Garrett

Ray T. Garrett, 84, of Muncie, Indiana, passed away Thursday evening, December 6, 2018,at I.U. Health Ball Memorial Hospital surrounded by his loving family. He had experienced declining health in recent months, and was unable to recover from a recent fall he experienced at his home.

Ray was born on Friday, May 18, 1934, on a farm in Byrdstown, Tennessee along Wolf River. He was the son of Denny and Pearl (Flowers) Garrett and attended a small, one room schoolhouse at Red Hill. Ray lost his mother at a very early age and stayed home to cook and care for his siblings while his father worked. For this reason, he was only able to finish the 5th grade. Ray spent his boyhood hunting and fishing along the river, fueling his lifelong love of fishing. As a young boy, Ray mastered the art of wading out into the river and catching giant catfish from under rocks with his hands, some nearly as big as he was.

In 1951, he moved north to Muncie, Indiana, where he worked at several area factories, including Ontario and Chrysler. He met and then married the love of his life, Marveline Williams, in Muncie, Indiana, in 1954. He discovered that she, too, had grown up on Wolf River in Tennessee just a few miles upstream from him.

After buying and selling a station wagon in his front yard, Ray found he had a knack for selling used cars. In 1960, despite having not much of a formal education, he started Garrett Auto Sales at the corner of 5th and Macedonia with his brother, Porter. For many years, Ray took great pride in traveling all over the country to find the nicest, low mileage cars he could find. Some of his favorites were the GM muscle cars of the late 1960s. Ray and Porter loved to drag race these, winning many trophies at area tracks. In 1975, he built a new car dealership on Highway 35 South at Beacon Street, and remained there until 1987. He then relocated to his current location on Cowan Road, where he employed numerous friends and family members over the years. Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, an extensive gathering of family, friends, and employees would meet at the car dealership for a holiday dinner, a tradition still carried on to this day. Ray has many loyal customers who keep coming back to him year after year because of his honesty and integrity. He made numerous friends in the car business community all over the country. “Garrett Auto Sales” stickers are present on many local area cars because of his 58+ years in business.

As an avid fisherman, Ray made frequent trips to Byrdstown, Tennessee with his family to fish Wolf River and Dale Hollow Lake, creating many memories with family on the road trips down through Madison, Indiana and small Kentucky towns.

He attended Pilgrim Holiness Church where he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 2005 and was baptized in 2007. In recent years, Ray faithfully watched television evangelist Dr. Charles Stanley from his home. He had the privilege of meeting him in person in recent years. Ray was a member of the Delaware Lodge #46.

Ray is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 64 years, Marveline (Williams) Garrett; three daughters, Connie Garrett, Pamela Porter (husband Gary), and Cindy Linn (Scott); two grandchildren, Jessica Caldwell (husband Ryan and father Brad Foust) and David Ray Smith (father David Neal Smith); and two great-grandsons, Garrett Caldwell and Lucas Caldwell. Ray is also survived by one brother, Howard “Porter” Garrett; a sister, Betty Jennings; numerous close nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws; pastor and close friend Steve Clemens (wife Sheryl and family); pastoral friends Andy Phipps, Steve Cook, Jeff Mosier, Austin Line, and Jim Sutherland; longtime former employees, Irene Bell (sister-in-law), Bobby Taylor, Nat Small, and Larry Beaty; special friends, Dennis Ice, Sam Pierce, Daryl Rowland, Gene Blevins, the Gene Foust family, the Lowell Stanley family, the Denver Auxier family, the David Sells family, the Dowdy family, and numerous more who have touched his life through the years.

He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Randall Garrett; infant brother; son-in-law Jeff Linn; and several dear nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Special thank you to the doctors and staff at IU Ball Memorial health for their efforts and care in these difficult circumstances.

Services will be held at Elm Ridge Funeral Home, 4600 West Kilgore Avenue, Muncie, Indiana, on Tuesday, December 11, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Steve Clemens officiating.

Calling will be Monday, December 10th, 2018, from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to a charitable cause very dear to Ray’s heart: Good News Children’s Ministry, a faith-based outreach for Muncie’s needy children. Checks payable to: Sister Lorena Jeffries 421 S. Mound St. Muncie, IN 47305.

On-line condolences may be sent to the family at: elmridgefuneralhome.com