Kenneth Ward Garr

Kenneth Ward Garr passed away at the age of 81 on January 24, 2018.  He was born to Wardella Campbell Garr and Kenneth Benjamin Garr on November 17, 1936, at the Dee Hospital in Ogden.  To avoid confusion, he became known as “Johnny.”  His father served in the U.S. Air Force, which resulted in transfers to many air bases in the west, the last being Hill Field in Ogden.  He attended schools in Ogden, and graduated from Ogden High in 1955.  After graduation, he joined the Navy, hoping to be sent to a warm place, but was first sent to Great Lakes Naval Air Station, followed by time in Maine and Newfoundland.  He served as a radioman and photographer, positioned in the nose of a P2V aircraft, swooping over the Arctic Ocean.  While on Christmas leave, he travelled to New Orleans and on December 26, 1955 married Ogden High classmate and long-time love Mary Mercedes Orr, whose family had been transferred to Louisiana.

After his military service, the couple returned to Utah and Ken attended the University of Utah and Weber College.  He was hired by Sperry Utah (later Unisys) as a computer operator.  He graduated from Weber with a B.S. in Business after many years of  attending night school while raising a family.  In 1969, he was transferred to Minnesota.  After three years, the family returned to Utah, settling in Fruit Heights.  Over his 30 years with Unisys, Ken had progressed to Manager of Information Systems.  He took early retirement in 1991 and devoted much of his time to his and Mary’s expansive, beautiful, award-winning gardens.  Ken was the designer and Mary was the grower/planter.

Ken is survived by his wife of 62 years, and three children: John Garr, Carolyn Kowalchik, Donna Clarke and seven grandchildren.

A private celebration of Ken’s life will be held in spring of 2018.