Edgar J Garrett

Edgar Julian Garrett, Sr. left this mortal vale on Friday, January 8, 2021. Ed died peacefully at home on the Diamond G Ranch in the arms of the one he loved, Billie J. Garrett, his wife of 73 years.

Born in Dallas, Texas, on May 8, 1925, to Julian Pace (“Lefty”) Garrett and Virginia Hutton Garrett, young Ed (“Sonny” to his family) was faced with tragedy at age five when his father drowned on a fishing trip. His maternal grandparents, Edgar (“Grandad” or “Dad”) and Sally Akers (“Meemaw”) Hutton, helped raise him and his younger brother, Julian Pace (“Buddy”) Garrett, who was born a few months after the death of his father.

As almost everyone in these parts knows, Ed Garrett was a World War II veteran. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School, he joined the Army Air Corps (which later became the US Air Force) at age 18, serving in the Pacific theatre until the end of the war.

When he returned home following his WWII adventures, he met his beloved Billie who was working at the soda fountain of a drugstore in Dallas owned by friends of his family. The young couple, who were both students – Ed at Southern Methodist University and Billie at Crozier Tech High School – dated for two years and were married in Dallas, Texas, on June 15, 1947, with the bride’s mother, Royall B. Lewis, in attendance. Their long, successful, loving marriage was blessed by three children, Edgar Julian (“Jay”) Garrett, Jr., Cathy Garrett, and William Kent Garrett.

Ed Garrett graduated with a degree in engineering from SMU in 1949. Ed worked as an aeronautical engineer for most of his career, beginning with Chance Vought in Grand Prairie, Texas, continuing with Temco (Ling Temco Vought) in Garland, Texas, and on to E-Systems in Greenville, Texas, where he ended his career as director of engineering.

One highlight of his E-Systems work was a stint as director the Sinai Field Mission, a peace-keeping effort in the Middle East (1975-1976?) that used electronics to monitor the passes between Egypt and Israel. 

After retiring from E-Systems, he was offered an opportunity to work in Germany, which he eagerly accepted. While performing as director of an organization supporting US troops with Servair, he and Billie lived in Viernheim, Germany, for several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which they greatly enjoyed, hosting many friends and family members while in Europe. In fact, they loved Germany and considered it a second home.

Ed and Billie had a wonderful “first” home, too – the Diamond G Ranch, where they lived and raised their family (and other critters) since 1962. The old stone-covered home is like a museum of their life together, and it holds myriad precious memories for all who have been there. The 400-acre ranch has beautiful woods, ponds, pastures, and gave Ed and his family a truly wonderful home environment.

Ed is survived by his devoted wife, Billie J. Garrett; his children, Edgar J. (“Jay”) Garrett, Cathy Garrett, and William Kent Garrett; grandson Justin Daniel Garrett, his wife Crystal Rose and children Weston Daniel and Ella Rose; and grandson Jordan Pace Garrett, his wife Meichan Huang, and baby Audrey May.

Other notable accomplishments:

Ed Garrett worked with E-System’s annual Thanksgiving food drives & Christmas gift drives for less fortunate families in the area.
Ed Garrett incepted the Maloy Water System, which has provided water to residents in the country surrounding Maloy Road.
In the 1960s, Ed Garrett was an enthusiastic, motivating, and character-building coach for many years for the Blue Sox in the Commerce Pee Wee League.
Ed Garrett, always a big fan of the Commerce School District and the Commerce Tigers, served one term Commerce School Board.
Ed worked diligently for a decade with Billie Garrett on the NE Texas Children’s Museum.
Ed worked with his son Jay at the Delta County Title & Abstract in Cooper, Texas, in 1990s.
Ed Garrett recently joined the Church of Christ, being baptized at the age of 95 in 2020.

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