George Michael Garber Jr.

George Michael Garber, Jr., died of a heart attack on March 17, 2025. His life will be celebrated at a private family ceremony. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to one of the following organizations.

American Heart Association (because George died of a heart attack)

Big Fluffy Dog Rescue (because George loved dogs; he and his wife shared their home with over thirty dogs during their 39 years of marriage, many of which were rescues)

The Nature Conservancy (because George loved nature and undeveloped land)

Acknowledgements and stories about George are welcome on this webpage.

George was born on November 3rd, 1960, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, where his mother’s family had lived for generations. He graduated from Deshler High School, then progressed to pre-engineering coursework at the University of North Alabama in Florence. After a year at UNA, George transferred to Auburn University and graduated with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering in 1985. He met his wife, Melissa Joan “Joanie” Miller Garber, at Auburn. They dated for two years and married on December 21, 1985.

George loved NASA and human spaceflight. He performed many types of work during his life and was especially happy to have worked at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at Launch Complex 34. He followed NASA news and always knew more about spaceflight plans than his wife, even when she worked as a NASA contractor after he retired.

George was loved and cherished as both a child and an adult. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a loving heart. He was never too busy to stop and talk to anyone, old friend or new. George treasured his friends and family and had a gift for making them laugh. He also loved dogs and beautiful hilly country. He enjoyed climbing to the ridge on his farm and looking out over the hollows and up at the sky. He was a Christian man and prayed to God daily about the welfare of others.

George was predeceased by his mother, Mary Virginia Richardson Garber, his father, George Michael Garber, Sr., and his sister, Gina Garber Kirkland. George is survived by a large number of friends and family members including Gina’s husband Mike Kirkland, their two children, Michael Kirkland and Hannah Kirkland, as well as George’s wife Joanie, who treasured him every day, and who will try to be more like him, kind, sweet, and funny, for the rest of her life.