OBITUARY: Richard William Garman

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Richard William Garman, known to family and friends as “Butch,”  age 85 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee passed away on Tuesday, August 28, 2018.  He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest child of Walter Earl and Ruth Marie Noll Garman.  He was preceded in death by brothers Walter Earl Garman, Jr. and Neal Garman, sister Betty Garman Reese, daughter Patricia Lynn Garman Au, and son John Jennings Garman.

Funeral services will be 3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 1, 2018 at North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro. Kirkland A. Mason, CEO of Stones River Manor in Murfreesboro,  and Donald Crittenden, former Minister at Four Seasons Church of Christ in Bloomington, Illinois, will officiate. Interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Patricia (Pat) Simpkins Garman; sons, Richard William Garman, Jr. M.D. (Patricia) of Brentwood, Tennessee and David Emerson Garman (Deborah) of Murfreesboro; son-in-law Gregory Au (Suanne) of Melbourne Beach, FL; and daughter-in-law Rhonda Mayse Garman of Columbia, TN. He was loved and admired by his grandchildren, Jennifer Garman Rowlett (Jason), Rebecca Jean Garman, William Baird Garman (Brittany), Ashley Garman Cook (Michael), Ryan Richard Au (Megan), Katherine Garman Morgaman (Justin), Benton Andrew Au, Katherine Garman Killion (Ben), great grandchildren, Madison Taylor Morgaman, Autumn Leigh Rowlett, Amelia Reagan Morgaman, Bryson Miles Au and Lily Grace Morgaman.

Butch graduated from Gettysburg College, where he was a member of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. After his  graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army, Airborne Division in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. During his military service, he met and married Patricia (“Pat”) Simpkins in Nashville, Tennessee.  Butch and Pat began their marriage in Alaska, where he was serving with the U.S. Army and subsequently returned to Tennessee, where Butch attended Vanderbilt Law School. He completed his law degree at the University of Louisville and started his 38-year State Farm career in Automotive Claims that included assignments in Tennessee, Kentucky and the Corporate offices in Bloomington, Illinois. Butch often engaged his children and grandchildren in the facts of his cases — and it was no surprise that six of his children, grandchildren, and their spouses followed him into the legal field.

Butch was a faithful Christian, beloved Father and Grandfather, and devoted and loving partner to Pat. He had a brilliant legal mind and was a student of history and politics. A lively conversationalist, Butch could engage on any number of topics with wit and a hardy laugh. He was even- keeled and never seemed to get upset or angry over life’s bumps and challenges. Butch particularly enjoyed the activities and adventures of his grandchildren, and on occasion, embellished their performance in a game or match. He was a church leader and Bible school teacher in several congregations, both large and small.  In Murfreesboro, he served for several years on the Board of Stones River Manor. He was an avid tennis player and sports fan of the Baltimore Orioles and former Baltimore Colts, as well as of local university teams, including Louisville, Illinois State, Vanderbilt, and MTSU.

The grandsons and spouses of granddaughters will serve as pallbearers. The North Boulevard Church of Christ John’s House Bible Class will be honorary pallbearers.

The family appreciates  the care and compassion Butch received from the nurses and staff of Adoration Hospice and Stones River Manor during his illness.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial gifts to the Lynn Garman Au College of Nursing Scholarship Fund at the University of Kentucky, (University of Kentucky, College of Nursing, Attention: Ms. Aimee’ Baston, 315 College of Nursing Building, Lexington, Kentucky 40526. Please note on the memo line: “Lynn Garman Au Scholarship”).

Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Saturday at North Boulevard Church of Christ.

Woodfin Memorial Chapel is in charge of the funeral arrangements, (615.893.5151) or www.woodfinchapel.com