Marvin A Garrett

On June 25, 2020, Marvin Alvin Garrett, loving husband and father of two, died in his sleep at age 82. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease eight years ago, and, due to related Lewy Body Dementia, he spent the last 3.5 years in memory care at Shell Point in Fort Myers, Florida.
Marv was born in Glasgow, West Virginia on November 27, 1937. His family moved to Tampa when he was ten. He earned his BA in 1960 in Baking Science and Management at Florida State University. He married Sonia Petersen of Geneva, New York, on October 27, 1962.
Marv’s career saw him in roles with profit responsibility in companies making bread and other food products. As he moved up the ladder at Pepperidge Farms, his family moved six times in six years, living in Clearwater, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, and back to Miami. In 1971, Marv moved to Rome, Georgia to manage Coosa Baking Company, where he worked until 1978. After equity roles with Turner Foods and Candy USA, Marv retired to the Fiddlesticks community in Fort Myers in 1990.
Marv was always an avid golfer. In 1991, the PGA sent him a plaque for playing the sixth most rounds in the USA. Marv said that, had he known that he was in contention, he would have played even more to be number one. He loved to gamble in golf and used his winnings to fund college for his four grandchildren. Marv played 854 different courses in his lifetime.
During 17 of Marv’s 25 years at Fiddlesticks, he was an Ambassador, working to entice new homeowners to fully fill in the community. Marv and Sonia moved to Shell Point Retirement Community in 2015.
His family loved him dearly for being a devoted husband (57 years), father, and grandfather. He was a real character: smart, funny, energetic. He lived the mantra “Conceive, Believe, and Achieve.” He was punctual, dedicated, and dependable. He was tough on the outside but a very generous soul. He enjoyed a cold beer, or several, immensely.
Marv had a lot of competitive drive, which he put into sports (in his youth and retirement) and business success (in the time in between). A terrific joke teller, he could put people in stitches. When he believed in a person or idea, he was forceful advocate and salesman. He played varsity baseball at FSU, received aid from and later contributed to the Southern Scholarship Foundation, was a proud member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and remained an enthusiastic FSU donor, recruiter, and lifelong fan. He influenced the lives he touched. He will be missed by those that knew and loved him.
Marv was predeceased by his father William and mother Welba (Snead), as well as brother Don and sister Sara Lee Burton. Marv is survived by wife Sonia, son Dan (Nancy Beth), daughter Tania Stoutamire (Hamp), grandchildren Elizabeth, Tom, Maggie, and Jack, sisters Jeanette Nees and Dorothea Means, as well as nieces, nephews, and extended family. There will be a celebration of life ceremony after Covid-19 concerns have passed. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

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