Joseph R. Garrett

Joseph Richard Garrett was born to Dgnara and Claude Brown on April 16, 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri. He changed his last name to Garrett because he was raised by his stepfather, Owen Garrett. He passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at Harvard Square assisted living, Denver, Colorado at the age of 99 years, 9 months.

Joe completed 8th grade and then quit school to help his mother after an accident left her with challenges. He went to work in his uncles potato chip factory in lower downtown Denver to make a few dollars. He then found work at Eberhardt Denver as an apprentice machinist-toolmaker. I remember him telling me that they finally had enough employees to create a baseball pool for the World Series. At that time it was a small business under the Colfax viaduct that eventually became very successful and was sold to Morse Chain Co. He worked for the same company for 46 years, later on bragging that he has been retired longer than he had worked. He joined the United States Navy as a Machinist’s Mate and worked on developing the heat seeking torpedo. He was one of the few surviving WWII veterans. He was very proud of his service and served until the 4th day of April, 1946. During that time he received his high school diploma from the Navy.

Joe met and married the love of his life in the fall of 1939. As Joe tells it, it was during an outing when he was at “Pick-A-Rib” with Dorothy’s sister, Lois and her beau, Howard. Howard told Joe to come with them so he could introduce Joe to Lois’ sisters. It must have been love-at-first-sight because the next spring Joe and Dorothy were married. This marriage, which happened on May 12th, 1940 was greatly blessed. They were married 72 years. To this union were born two daughters: Priscilla June and Pamella Anne.

Joe could create anything, he read how to do it and did it. He built two boats. The first was a fishing boat made of plywood. He would wet the wood and shape it into the shape he needed. We called it Old Dusty. Those were the days when fishing was a true adventure with plenty of action. After staying the night at Grand Lake we would be on the boat at first light to catch our limit before lunch. He called the lures fisherman catchers. The next boat was a fiberglass waterski boat he designed and built on the back patio at the home they lived in for 68 years. With that boat there were summer camping trips at Lake Jackson. Joe would be driving the boat while the girls and their friends would be waterskiing. Dorothy would be at the campsite cooking and caring for any young children. They would get home, clean out the sand and start all over preparing for the next weekend.

Joe redesigned their small 2 bedroom home to have a large living room with fireplace and a wonderful dining area. This addition replaced the 1 car attached garage. He constructed it all himself and continued to build a 3 car garage off the alley. The outside of the home was finished with metal siding and the porch was updated as well.

The raised gardens he created around the house were amazing. Joe and Dorothy would always work together in the garden. They would plant and nurture the plants. Joe had his vegetable gardens. The neighbors said it was like living next to a park. In fact, Joe and Dot would check out the gardens at local parks and then create them at home with special plant borders and contrasting colors.

Joe was a member of Englewood United Methodist Church and enjoyed singing in the choir until his stroke at 97. He was instrumental in creating the specially designed stained glass windows. The church took on the project of developing the windows. The windows, 18 inches wide, rise 30 feet at 15 foot intervals on each side of the church. The windows were made in sections 36 inches long and mounted in aluminum frames. Joe developed the device used to place the epoxy between the glass pieces to form a design representing all the bible stories from beginning to end. The trees were chopped down to allow room for the new church, and were used as cutting blocks in the old church’s furnace room for members of the congregation to cut the glass.

Joe belonged to the Elks Lodge in Englewood and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there. Friends and family feasting and dancing to a band in their wonderful decorated ballroom. An affair to remember. Dot had laryngitis that day and couldn’t speak much at all. Joe declared that he had the perfect wife.

Dot and Joe traveled extensively in a motor home to every state in the union and all the way east to west across Canada, twice. They spent 6 weeks in Europe, loved Italy and Germany. Their grandchildren were in the Army in Germany.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Laura Dorothy and survived by daughters: Priscilla and husband, Ron Kai, Denver, CO and Pamella and husband, Kent Allen of Glendo, Wy; grandsons: Norman Allen and wife, Ginger of Hawaii, and Kevin Allen and wife, Shelly of Craig, CO; great grandchildren: Charles Allen and wife Sohayla, Shad Allen, Laura Allen, Pamela Turner and husband Jake Turner, and Kimberly Allen: great, great grandchildren Lyla Turner and Madeleine Allen; a sister-in-law: Betty Brickey, Salt Lake City, Utah, and nieces: Nicole Hanlen and Debbie Green. He was preceded in death by his nieces: Sharon Andrews and Karen Washburn.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Englewood United Methodist Church under the windows he created with other members of the congregation. It will be held on what would have been his 100th birthday, April 16, 1919. Time to be announced. A light lunch will be served at the Church and Internment will follow with a procession to Ft. Logan Cemetery. Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary & Cemetery is in charge of arrangements.