Michael will be missed by my family, he was very generous to us when we were in a position to need it.  He had a wonderful sense of humour and always knew the right line and time to deliver it.  Michael was my brother-in-law for 36 years and I will miss phoning him to discuss the Blue Jays latest games, or just how he has spent his day.   I am reminded of various times when he would be away from school for a time and the cards that would come to him would be filled with many encouraging words from his students, with much love.  Reading all these recent entries reminds me of all that Mike was to many people.   
Jude 1:2  Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Marj<

Amen to what Carol has said. Michael enriched all his family with his good humour and kindness. We have greatly appreciated the thoughts of the many people who shared their own memories of him in this space.
With thanks,
Joanne McGarry, David, Laura, Sarah and Daniel Paolini.

   My daughters and I would like to let everyone know how much we appreciate all of your kind thoughts and words for Michael.  We have found support and love in these words from so many people.  
   I also wanted to express my gratefulness to Mike for his ability to “cheer people up”, his wish to spread happiness.  Remembering his intelligent humour through his words and phrases, and through his physical expression of cheerfulness is immensely helpful now.   
Thank you and love,
Carol

Mr. McGarry was a fantastic person. As a student in one of his last years at St. Joe's, what stood out were his strength of spirit and joviality. His classroom was always filled with excitement, as his lessons brought literature to life, whether through his interpretations, commentary, or references to '60s and '70s pop culture. We learned a lot more than English and Writers' Craft there. I feel so privileged to have been his student. Heartfelt condolences to his family.

Besides being a great teacher - he had the most amazing smile. I am a better person for having known him. Thanks Mr. McGarry.

Mr. McGarry inspired and educated thousands of women to be leaders in society.  His legacy lives well beyond the halls of Wellesley.  I can attest to that!  I became an English teacher because of his spirit, sense of humour and passion for the subject.  I can proudly say that I model myself after him and continue to storytell about Mr. McGarry in class!  To the family - My sincere condolences... He will be missed.
(SJCS - class of 1994)

My sincere condolences for your loss.
I've left Toronto over a decade ago and have been living in Portugal for a while now...one of my last memories of Canada are my English Classes with Mr. McGarry. Some people are just unforgetable...Mr. McGarryis is certainly one of them. He will surely live on in our heats and mind! May he Rest in Peace

Our condolences to Carol and the girls and the rest of the family.  I'm sure his sense of humor will be greatly missed.   Ginny and Neil O'Donnell

My sincere condolences for your loss. Know, during this difficult time, that Mr.McGarry inspired hundreds of women to believe in themselves and others. God bless

Mr. McGarry was a truly wonderful teacher. A teacher I will never forget. R.I.P.

Mike was a colleague and friend - we worked together at St. Joseph's College School. He always had excellent rapport with students - a scholar with a great (and dry) sense of humour. He was a courteous and respectful towards all, and highly regarded by colleagues and students. My condolences to his family - to Carol and the girls.

Mr McGarry was the most memorable teacher - a wonderful friend and possibly one of the funniest and most educated individual I was blessed to know - He made coming to school @ St Joe's more than just "coming to school". His amazing demeanor and his zest for life and not letting anything get in the way of him living his life regardless of all the hands he was dealt - was not only commendable but made one look at life from a whole new prespective - 

I am going to miss seeing him everyday at different times going out and coming home - he was definately a refreshing face to see leaving and coming home .... 

Mr McGarry you touched many lives and will be missed 

Your student, neighbour, friend. Shirale Sequeira

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

My condolences to the entire family.
God rest his soul in peace.  You are in my prayers.

R.I.P Mr. Mcgarry...you truly inspired me! Incredible personality and talent that kept us all captivated and inspired throughout your classes and instruction. Thank you for all you taught me and inspired me to do through my high school life! Never a dull moment indeed! Your smile and laughter will never be forgotten! SJCS has truly lost a valuable Person. RIP.

Mr. McGarry, I still smile over some of the stories you told us in writer's craft. You had a way of teaching that made everything interesting and witty.  And you really listened. Hands down the coolest guy at St. Joe's. Thank you so much for being you. xox

R.I.P Mr McGarry! My deepest condolences to the family. He was the very first teacher I had in gr9 and it was such an honor being in his english class. He was an amazing person and educator not only through the way he taught students but also through his incredible ability to keep us coming back with smiles and laughter. There was never a dull moment and he was the first teacher to recognize my work in poetry. SJCS will never be the same without you. You will truly be missed and never forgotten!

Mr. McGarry was my Grade 12 Writer's Craft teacher at St. Joseph's.  He was the first person to actually call me Lenhe and it stuck with me to this day.  I'll never forget his perfect balance of confidence and calm in the classroom, and I will forever miss him and St. Joseph's.  To his two daughters, your love for your dad will get you through.  God bless all the people he loved and loved him.

Requiescat In Pace Mr.McGarry ! you will be missed and I will miss you more then I can say . Your charisma and perseverance and ability to reach all your students equally and specially has been inspiring  and given me and many other students strength. Condolences to friends and family and the SJCS community . â™¥

My sincerest condolences to his family.  He was an amazing teacher who had the best sense of humour and could make "Death of a Salesman" fun.  I had the chance to go back and do my practice teaching at St. Joe's and it was an honour teaching in his department.  You will be sincerely missed. Thank you for being such a wonderful teacher.

CAROL, LUCY AND KATIE, we will always be here to support you in this great loss.  Our condolences.

Very sorry to hear about Mike's passing.  I knew him for many years but only saw him every now and then.  This was always in the company of my dad, who was one of his former colleagues and a beloved friend.  Mike was always tuned to the mood of the people around him, and seemed to take pleasure in raising their spirits.  Even through difficult times there was a twinkle in his eye and a deep-down funny, intelligent observation of the world around us.  He will live on in our memories as an example of a generous spirit.

Mr McGarry was a great teacher.  Very sad to hear of his passing. My condolences and prayers go out to his family and friends.

God Bless you and your family Mike. Having read each of the messages here, I am not surprised that Mike continued to touch so many people in his own giving way. I reflect upon my time as a team mate of Mike's and know that he will be thoroughly missed by many.

No one could teach Macbeth like Mr. McGarry.  I have very fond memories of him.  Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.  May you have the strength to help you through this difficult time.   Paula Correia (Milton, ON)

my sincerest condolences and prayers go to the McGarry family. He was a wonderful teacher who made quite the impact on his students. He will be missed.

My deepest sympathy goes out to Mr. McGarry's family.  It was always a pleasure to attend Mr. McGarry's classes.  He will definately be remembered for being a great teacher.

My deepest condolences to the family.  Mr. McGarry was a wonderful educator and a kind person who touched the lives of all his students.  My thoughts are with you at this difficult time. He will be missed.

My deepest condolences to Mr. McGarry's family; my thoughts and prayers are with you during this sad time. I was lucky to have Mr. McGarry as my teacher for a time in my final year at SJCS. He was a wonderful, funny and brilliant teacher who greatly loved the English subject and enjoyed teaching what he loved to his students. He will be greatly missed.

I knew Mr.McGarry throughout my high school career, and was thankful to get him in my last year of high school, he was amazing to our class, and such an interesting individual to talk to one on one. He helped me graduate with wise words and pushed me to study my hardest and believe that I could accomplish anything. 
He will forever stay in my heart, and I will miss him, it will not be the same to go back to SJCS when visiting.
I will miss you very much Mr. McGarry, you inspired me to be a better person.

Never was I more happy at the beginning of my Grade 11 school year at St Josephs than when I looked at my schedule and found that I had Mr McGarry for English. He was a terrific man, a brilliant teacher, and loved by everyone that he taught. I was so terribly saddened to hear of his passing - my thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time.

RIP Mr McGarry condolences to your family , I was lucky enough to have you 2 years in a row and twice in one semester. Even my locker was locates right next to your class. Always such a kind man with a warm heart. Class was always fun with you , not only were you a teacher but a friend to many students. Always making us smile

Mr. McGarry was the kindest and happiest teach.  Thank you for the lessons and the kind smiles and laughter over the years.

Mr. McGarry showed me how to believe in myself, follow my dreams and most importantly, to laugh and not take things too seriously. When all else fails, listen to some good music. He is still an inspiration and greatest supporter of dreaming. May we meet again. Sylvia Beauchain

I took every offered course taught by Mr. McGarry.  Mr. McGarry's classes were the ones that you worked your entire schedule around.   You needed to be in his class.  I remember students being ill for other classes but miraculously feeling well enough to make it to his classes.   He was a superstar.  He couldn't walk the halls of SJSC without students wanting to talk to him…I understand it was very much the same even outside the halls of Wellesley.
He was a great supporter of his students.  He was caring, patient and understanding of them. 
He was a wonderful storyteller.    He was one of the nicest people I have ever known.    
Thank you for all of the lessons.  Thank you for your friendship.  I will miss you very much.   
My deepest condolences to Carol, Katie, Lucy, family and friends.

A gentle kind and happy giant as I remember him. I'll always remember the warm conforting smile he had as he passed by the VP's office while I was sitting in there for detention. He wasn't just a teacher he was an inspiration. He will be truely be missed by many.

Mike was a great brother, friend and teacher who will be greatly missed. He also excelled as a husband to Carol and father to Lucy and Katy. He was a role model in everything he did and all of us who got to be around him were better for it. Rest in peace bro.

Bernard & June

Mr. McGarry is one of the reasons I loved learning and one of the reasons I love teaching.  Thank you, sir.  You will be greatly missed.

(SJCS, class of 1994)

I was one of many students who was lucky to have been taught by Mr. McGarry at SJCS.  He was a wonderful teacher and mentor.  Mr. McGarry will always be one of my favourite teachers.  With Deepest Sympathy.

My deepest condolences to the McGarry family, he was my grade 10 english teacher and brought delightful humour to the class everymorning.

My deepest sympathy goes out to Carol, Lucy and Katie; you are the greatest souce of pride, strength and love in your husband/father. I wish you strength to carry on through this difficult time. 
 The highlight of my high school career was being his student. He was the coolest guy to walk the SJCS hallways. He would tower over everyone and be sharing a joke with another staff member as he made his way through the sea of plaid into his classes. 
If you were in the class, you might be so lucky to have the joke or bizarre observation repeated to you. He was the best storyteller and listener and at this time I can't think of anyone who has as big a heart and as gentle a spirit.
I have never really given heaven serious thought but I have been hoping these last few days that if there is an English class up there that he'll be teaching it.
I'll always have Hemingway remind me of you. Now back to that screenplay we were talking about "sister rita doesn't live here anymore".
Thank you for always having been there for me and for my sister when I wasn't. 
Rest is peace.

Mr. McGarry was a wonderful English teacher. His constant encouragement made me work harder and he always believed in his students.
He will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family.

I'd like to express my condolences to the McGarry familly first.  Michael McGarry was a unique and warm person who always made the time to listen to people, always expressing support and compassion.  He always used humour to make people feel better and make light of a situation.  I will never forget him.

Mr. McGarry was an incredible teacher and human being. He inspired and affected the people around him in ways he could probably never even imagine. I will be forever grateful to have been his student and hope to be half the teacher he was one day.

My condolences to all those who loved him.

My condolences to the family, Mr.McGarry was my Gr.11 and 12 english teacher, without him i would not be standing where i stand today with his help. He was such an amazing teacher that would make my day. As i would like to say he will always be loved and remembered in our hearts.

My sincere condolences to the McGarry family.  He was an amazing teacher and the reason why I majored in English when I went to University.  He will be remembered and missed!

My condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. McGarry. I had the pleasure of having Mr. McGarry as a teacher at SJCS and will always remember him as one of the few teachers who was willing to stay after class to help his students no matter what. He was truly a great person and will be missed greatly.

Mr. McGarry was the most joyful teacher I have ever met! I was a student in his english class when I attended St. Joseph's College, and I can honestly say it was the best class!
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends as they celebrate his life.

My deepest condolences to the McGarry family.  Mr. McGarry was an amazing English teacher.  Although it's been many years since I graduated from St. Joseph's College School, I still remember how understanding and caring Mr. McGarry was. He will be missed my many!

I would like to say first and foremost my deepest condolences to the family. Mr McGarry was such a great english teacher of mine. I had him as a teacher in St.Joseph's College school. His classes would be very laid back but yet we would always learned so much! I was really touched of how much he cared for his students and coming to his classes i always looked forward to it! He will forever be missed but i'm truly lucky to call myself one of his students!! Sir I will definitely remember everything you taught me! Rest in peace. May God bless your family through this tough time.

My deepest condolences to the family. I was never taught by him but I remember he was always smiling! 
God bless.

Mr. McGarry taught me that what I had to say was more important than the number of words in my essay.  He encouraged me to be a critical thinker and a well-rounded student. Thank you for being an awesome teacher.  You will be greatly missed.
My sincere sympathy goes out to Mr. McGarry's family and friends.

Mr. McGarry was my English teacher at St. Joseph's College School. I loved going to his class. He made it easy to understand Shakespeare, Macbeth comes to mind. I'll always be grateful for his encouragement. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. May you rest in peace Mr. McGarry.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I had the pleasure of being taught by Mr. McGarry twice while I was at St.Joe's. He was my favourite teacher and will remain so forever. He was one of those rare teachers that truly cared about each and every one of his students. Mr. McGarry, I will always remember your kindness, smile and sense of humour. My heart goes out to all of his family and friends.

My dear, dear Michael, the pride of the English staff; I will never forget his, wit, his humour, his wonder-teacher style. We will not see his like again. My condolences to Carol, Lucy, and Katie. Pat Burgess

Mr.McGarry was an awesome English teacher at St.Joseph's College School.  He was well liked and had a great sense of humour.  He always made my day.  You will be truly missed.  My condolences to the family. My thoughts and prayers are with you all

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.  Was a pleasure to be taught by him.

Mike was an fantastic colleague in yellowknife and more importantly the best of friends whom we have never forgotten.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.  I had the pleasure of being taught English by him twice.  It has been over 10 years since I graduated and he is still very memorable.  He was a kind-hearted teacher, with a warm smile, who always did what he could to better our learning and understanding.  He really cared about us and he was well respected and liked by our class.  My heart goes out to his family and friends.

Joanne D'Mello

Mr. McGarry, I will always remember you for your kindness and great sense of humour. You were an amazing teacher because you made class fun and you truly cared about your students. You inspired me and many other students, and so in that way you live on. Rest in peace sir.

Mr. McGarry was my grade 12 English teacher at St. Joseph's College School.  I loved going to his class because he made learning such much fun.  He loved his work and he loved his students.  He was a great inspiration, and will be missed.  My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. McGarry's family during this difficult time.

Mr. McGarry was a gifted teacher, and I was fortunate to have been in his Grade 11 English class at St. Joseph's College School.  Thank you, Mr. McGarry.  You will be missed.  My condolences to the McGarry family.

Mr. McGarry was a gifted teacher, and I was fortunate enough to have been one of his English students at St. Joseph's College School.  Thank you, Mr. McGarry.  You will be missed.

Lucy, Katie, and Carol,

I am deeply sorry for you loss. 
I hope you are comforted by happy memories of your father (husband) and with the knowledge that he can no longer feel any discomfort.

What brilliance! Having bumped into him several times over the years since I left St. Joseph's, his humour was still infectious. I hear MM in Mercutio's Queen Mab, and Martin Luther King's dream and at JFK's presidential inauguration. Thanks for the literary lens.

McGarry taught me Grade 11 English at St. Joes... may you rest in peace...

My condolences to the McGarry family. Mr. McGarry was by far one of the best teachers we had at St. Joe's. I was lucky to have him for 2 English classes and I used to love going to his class. He was funny and passionate about English. He will be missed.

My condolences to the McGarry family.  The girls of St. Joe's share your sorrow.  He was a magnificent teacher and a fantastic man.  We are all better people having had the chance to know him.  Please know that he made such a huge difference in so many lives, that his memory will forever live on.

Lovely to read everyone's comments and remember such a phenomenal teacher. In 1985, I was one of his first students and I think he was amazing from day one. Some people are just born teachers. I don't think he taught math after that year, but I got to enjoy his breadth of topics and depth of knowledge over the 5 years at St. Joe's. If I ever run into someone and we realize we both went to St. Joes, but from different years, he's always the first teacher I've asked if they had. It was a pleasure to get to see him at the party celebrating St. Joe's becoming part of the Ontario School Board, and send him a card signed by so many fans to commemorate his recent retirement, but I am so sad that it was so short. My deepest regrets to his family. A truly beloved person, made other people feel the same.

RIP Mc. McGarry...one of the best teachers at SJCS. Had him for Gr. 11 English...and one of my favourite classes that year. My condolences to the McGarry family.

My condolences to Mr. McGarry's family. He was my favorite teacher at St. Josephs College. His class was the high point of my highschool days always. He was a wonderful person and will be greatly missed.

Mike McGarry was a fine gentleman and one of the most admirable teachers I knew. He loved his family and his students very much. What a loss.
Theresa Gerson

When I heard that Michael had past on...the first thing that I did was smile thinking of that big kid at OLPH that could just pin us to the ground by sitting on us. I then went online and saw his picture; he totally looked the same. God Bless his family and friends and find comfort in having known and loved him.
ALL THE BEST... Paul Weber

Mr.Mcgarry was an amazing teacher, i had him about 5 years ago for my grade 10 english. he was an inspiring man and a fighter. he will never be forgotten, his courage was very moving.

Mr. McGarry was the best teacher anyone could ever ask for. He was pleasant, kind, understanding and humorous. He always did everything he could to help us. He helped me a lot through my high school years, and I can honestly say, that I'm sure the same applies to all the girls of SJCS. The students that had the pleasure of being taught by him, the students that had encountered him in the hallways, and even students that came after will all miss him greatly. RIP Mr. McGarry, we'll miss you.

Dear Lucy, Katie, and Carol,

I had the opportunity to meet your dad and was delighted by his overwhelming personality and sense of humour! I am very sorry to hear the news, and I am praying for you in this hard time.

Love lots, Danielle

Every St. Joes girl has a special place in her heart for Mr. McGarry. He was brilliant, insightful and his humour was absolutely infectious. Mr. McGarry was one of the most phenomenal educators that I have ever had the privilege of learning from. He will never be forgotten.

My condolences to all of the family.  I remember Michael when I visited the family home while attending high school with Joanne.  He was always good natured and had a great sense of humour.  I am very impressed with all of the fond memories his students are sharing and hope they bring you comfort.
Chris

Truly an amazing teacher, and a kind human being. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

SJCS Class of 2004

Our heartfelt condolences for your loss. mike was a good man and will be missed.

Matthew and Anna Laxton.

Mr. McGarry was a wonderful teacher that can only be remembered with love and fond memories by the ones fortunate enough to have met him. He was what a teacher was meant to be. He inspired his students and showed them just what they were capable of accomplishing. Rest in peace kind heart.

Your generosity and kindness threw out roots in all directions, and now those roots will spring up and make new trees. I am forever grateful to have had you as a teacher. My deepest sympathies to the McGarry family.

My condolences to Mr. McGarry and his his family.  I had the pleasure of having him as an english teacher many many many years ago and now my niece had that same pleasure a short while ago.  He was always there to listen and made you want to learn!!!  I was and always will be an SJSC girl and he was a big part of my fond memories.  He will be greatly missed.  R.I.P Mr. McGarry.

Mr. McGarry ... a wonderful teacher, a wonderful person, who touched the lives and minds of many a pupil with his passion for English and literature. You will be greatly missed but never forgotten. My deepest condolences to all family & friends.

He will be greatly missed by his students!!!  So inspiring, so motivating and absolutely hilarious in the classroom.  Thanks for believing in us!!! NF. graduating class 2001.

Mr. McGarry was hands down my favorite teacher. He was funny, kind and smart.I was blessed with having him as my teacher 4 times and they were by far my favorite classes. May deepest sympathy goes out to his family.

Our heartfelt condolensces go out to Carol & your family during this difficult time. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Dear Carol, Lucy, Katie, and the family,
We are so sorry for your loss. May your special memories help ease your grief. Please remember you are not alone - a lot of people truly care and hope the best for you.
With deepest sympathy,
Emilia, Zuzana and Martina; Whitby

Truly, a wonderful teacher and human being.  Inspiring, funny and kind.  A terrible loss.

Mr. McGarry was by far my favourite English teacher ever and I'm sure many girls at SJCS would agree. He was a kind and funny teacher. I had him for 3 classes and he made going to first period English so much more enjoyable. RIP Mr. McGarry - you will be missed. My condolences to the McGarry family. God Bless.

We send our deepest sympathies to your entire family at this time. Bernie, Mike will be greatly missed.

Probably the best teacher that St. Joseph's College School has ever had, Mr. McGarry was one of my best memories of high school. My two sisters and I will miss him greatly and remember him fondly. Rest in peace, kind sir. My deepest condolences.

I was always jealous that my friends had Mr. McGarry as a teacher.
I wanted to sneak into his class so badly.
Sometimes I would stand in the hall outside his class just to hear him til I got booked and he would send me back to my original class!
You will be missed.

Rest in Peace Sir

A remarkable teacher who instilled passion for literature and the arts in his students. I remember one class in particular he had us read the lyrics and listen to Jimi Hendrix's Along the Watch Tower, and discuss its meaning. Not your standard English curriculum, but what an inspiring English teacher who knew how to reach his students. He certainly impacted my life and will be missed by all those who he taught.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
..

My deepest condolences to Mr. McGarry's family and friends. He was a good man and a wonderful teacher. Those of us lucky enough to have him as a teacher will always remember him fondly.

My condolences to Mr. McGarry and his family. I can only imagine what a joy he must have been in everybody's lives because he was such a great source of happiness at SJCS and he always managed to put a smile on my face every time I entered his classroom. You will truly be missed. SJCS will always love you!

Mr. McGarry, will always be one of those inspiring teachers you'll bring up in a conversation about the good times you had at SJCS. There was never a day in his class were he wouldnt make you laugh.It was a pleasure having him as a teacher and as friend he will be missed. 
RIP Mr. McGarry

My condolences to the McGarry family. Mr.McGarry always put a smile on my face and he was such a wonderful person. He was by far the most memorable teacher in my life and he was someone I looked up to. He will be greatly missed.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Mr. Michael Edward McGarry

27 juillet 1951 – 27 janvier 2012

Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home & Chapel

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