Joe Garrett

Joe Garrett (76) passed away peacefully on May 28, 2023, with his family lovingly by his side. Joe was born on October 27, 1946 to Bob Garrett and Nelda Lewis in Dallas, Texas. Joe spent his childhood years in Texas giving his parents and ten siblings equal doses of joy and grief. Shortly after graduating high school, Joe joined the Army, serving as a combat medic in Vietnam. After returning from Vietnam, he met his beautiful bride, Patricia Potter, in Denver, Colorado. After knowing each other for only a short six weeks (he never hesitated to go after something he wanted!), they married on December 14, 1968. Following Joe’s honorable discharge from the Army, the couple spent time in Colorado and Texas, before eventually settling in Missouri with their two daughters, Melissa and Teresa. Despite the heartaches and the tragedy he witnessed during his service, Joe was always incredibly proud to have been of service to his country. Long before the hit Netflix series “Ozark” put the Lake on the map, Joe and Pat discovered the beauty and majesty of the Ozarks. They became perma-vacationers in 1980 when they moved from Kansas City to Sunrise Beach to raise their family. Joe dabbled in construction long enough to build a lovely lake home where endless memories were created in the cozy cove at Mile Marker 28. Too many summer days to count, filled with swimming, water skiing, tubing, fishing and fish fries, King of the Dock matches and hours upon hours of fun and laughter with family and friends. Joe became a fixture on Route 5 in Sunrise Beach when he bought a small convenience store that would become Garrett’s Grocery, the “Store” as we affectionally called it. Joe spent 20 years serving both locals and tourists alike, providing gas, beer, fishing bait and anything else one might need for a weekend at the Lake. He ran his fishing guide service, his true passion, from the Store too. But it was not the tangible things that brought people to the Store, it was Joe and his stories. If you ever had the pleasure of listening to one of his stories, you know that his delivery was exceptional. Fish story or not, he knew how to capture your imagination, draw you in and bring to life the story he was sharing. May we all carry Joe’s stories with us! Eventually the countryside came calling, and with kids grown and the Store passed on to new owners, Joe traded his fishing poles for tractors. He and Pat moved off the water in 2017 to establish their homestead. And with this new quieter phase of life, Joe and Pat found themselves as “Doc” and “Ruby”, immersed with a wonderful group of people in the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA). They become unrecognizable to their kiddos as they became free spirits, venturing across the US on their Harleys, even going to Sturgis four times! Doc served as Commander, Road Captain, and other positions with the CVMA, and he and Ruby attended many service opportunities with the group. There was great camaraderie among the CVMA members, and the club provided Doc and many others with long overdue gratitude and appreciation for their service to our country. “You can take a boy out of Texas but you can’t take Texas out of a boy” – Never were truer words spoken for Joe Garrett. Despite living in Missouri for 50+ years, Joe never shook his Texas Redneck roots – and thank goodness for that. He was stubborn as a mule and as headstrong as they come. He loved home cooked meals and sweet tea, and he loved to have his big, loud, rambunctious family around. But usually preferred us to gather in a separate room so we didn’t drown out his old westerns on the TV! But there was also a side of Joe that not everyone got to see – a true romantic at heart, nostalgic and sentimental, loyal to a fault, sassy, clever, playful, funny, and surprising to most, a poet. Joe spent his final years on the homestead, enjoying the serene sunrises and sunsets, watching the wildlife, and bossing his woman around. His imprint will forever be on the homestead, and his memory will be carried on with this crazy bunch as we continue to gather there. Oh, and Joe, the longhorns will come, we promise. Joe is survived by his wife, Patricia Garrett; daughters Melissa (Andy) Wilsman and Teresa (Justin) Vermillion; grandchildren Kiefer Garrett, Alexx Wilsman, Breanna Blunschi (Beau), Luci Vermillion, Josey Vermillion and Bodie Vermillion; siblings Pat Garrett, Becky Moser (Ross) , Floyd Garrett (AJ), Paul Garrett (Dawn), Shane Rickman (Lisa), Kevin Garrett (Trish), David Garrett (Jolie) and Sheila Young (Ron), as well as endless beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Joe was preceded in death by his mother, Nelda Lewis, his father, Bob Garrett, his step-mother Peggy Garrett, his brothers Randy Pope and Tommy Pope and both sets of grandparents. A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Kidwell-Garber Laurie/Sunrise Beach Chapel. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m., Saturday at the funeral home. Immediately following the service, military honors will be conferred at the Zack Wheat American Legion Hall, 852 American Legion Road, Sunrise Beach, Missouri. A gathering celebration will follow from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the Hall. Memorial donations may be made to Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association (CVMA) Chapter 4-2. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Kidwell-Garber Laurie/Sunrise Beach Chapel.

Joe Garrett

October 26, 1946 - May 28, 2023

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Joe Garrett

October 26, 1946 - May 28, 2023

About Us

What We Do

Contact KG/Locations

Grief & Healing

Plan Ahead

Obituaries

Resources

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