John L. Garrett

John was born in Washington, D.C. on July 16, 1959 to his loving parents Wilbur and Bertha Garrett. He joined a family of five older siblings, three brothers and two sisters, who loved him then, just as much as we do now. He passed away August 31, 2019. He was a resident of Orlando, Florida for nearly 30 years. As a child, John, with the nickname of Johnny, was fascinated by his environment and all the things in which his large family were involved. He grew up on the idyllic family farm called ‘Wickford’ in Potomac, Maryland. The farm was twenty four acres surrounded by hundreds of acres of the beautiful, wide open Montgomery County countryside; to include Great Falls National Park along the majestic Potomac River and the C & O Canal. Here, he had fun with family and friends; there was never a shortage of things to do, fun to be had or chores to be done. Simply getting lost in the woods, valleys, pastures or creeks, all of which differed in appearance and activity from one season to the next was a fantastic environment in which to grow in body and spirit. The farm’s numerous hunting dogs, cats, horses, chickens, and pigeons, rounded out the farm’s family. By the time John was born, Lynn was 15, Michael 13, Peter 10, Mark 8 and Mary 5. From time to time kids attended horse shows, hunted birds, built forts, swam in creeks, ice skated, spread manure, raked leaves, sled the driveway, mowed grass, climbed trees, painted fences, hiked the countryside or just played ball with one another. These were halcyon days and served as the backdrop for so much family bonding and happiness. As John would often say of our family time in Potomac, “we had the best of it, pure country.” All of the children were blessed to have such wonderful, loving and supportive parents, whose lives enriched all of ours. Being the youngest child, John had a very special relationship with Wilbur and Bertha over many years, especially as the older children were leaving the nest, one by one. John attended Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School, and like his three older brothers before him, he would serve as either an altar boy, or choir boy. John chose the former. As luck would have it, John would regularly pull 7am weekday altar assignments. On numerous occasions, when an assigned altar boy was missing, there was a gentleman seated in the front pew every morning who would serve with John. This man, Vince Lombardi, impressed John and they were friends. John loved meeting people; he loved their stories, always wanting to know more. From Mercy, John went on to attend and graduate from Bullis Prep High School in 1978 with a strong academic orientation. Throughout his time at Bullis, he loved sports, loved to compete and lettered in golf, track and soccer. He was bright, good looking, engaging, and loved making new friends. Writing and storytelling became two of his favorite pastimes, and he will always be remembered for his many stories. John’s other siblings were moving on while he was still quite young. His personality matured by being closer to his parents and their myriad of wonderful friends both in Potomac and the decades old family home located overlooking the Chesapeake Bay on the eastern shore of Maryland, across from Annapolis. John thrived at the bay during his teenage years. He loved the Bay, and could be considered to have become a ‘waterman’ in the truest sense of the word. Again, he would note, “we had the best of it all”. This background helped him to be quite confident and independent in his thinking and action. After high school, John moved to Florida, attended community college, and later enlisted in the Navy serving as a medical corpsman in San Diego, California. Afterwards, he moved back to Florida to complete a liberal arts degree at the University of Central Florida. He enjoyed all he was doing largely because he was free to do whatever he chose. After graduation, John determined his interest, direction, skills and career path that would become his passion going forward. He became aware that the motion picture film and television industry was using Florida as a film venue, and decided he wanted to be associated with the industry’s efforts. Once he gained the necessary expertise, John became a very knowledgeable, independent contractor specializing in finding desirable filming locations, contracting with owners, location management, with issues such as security, ingress and egress, site enhancement and refurbishment, and a myriad of other production issues. It was classic project management activity similar to constructing a building with heavy emphasis on cost, schedule and performance. A colleague recently noted that “John was a well-respected Location Manager in the film and television industry. Over his two decades in the business, he brought joy, laughter and love to his film family and was a mentor to many in the Locations Department on countless feature films, television commercials and tv series.” Collateral benefits also included seeing or meeting stars, observing the filming and acting, and the freedom associated with finding the next best venue in his favorite place - Florida. John established wonderful friendships wherever he went and with whomever he might meet; it was in his DNA from the day he was born. He took tremendous satisfaction in knowing that the part he played in the various productions on which he worked, was one part of the greater whole; he loved being a team player, all with the common goal of creating the best production possible. John had many interests, activities and qualities which can’t all be listed here; however, one item in particular deserves special recognition. John always recognized the true importance and value of family, especially when it came to the care of our parents. As John would say, “they did everything for us”, and he made it clear to all that they came first, and that he would adjust or change whatever he had going on in Florida to assist in their care. With the onset of the Great Recession in 2008 and the eventual slowing down of movie production in Florida, John would shift and balance his work schedule so as to work for eight years as a primary caregiver along side of his brother Mark, when and as needed. When Mark needed help or a break John would unhesitatingly heed the call. He was a natural, in the sense that, he had a medical background, was a fabulous cook, and could entertain his parents with stories of past times and adventures from the family’s time in Potomac and at the Bay. John absolutely loved all of the older classic movies, as did his parents, and that further opened up a great opportunity to share more time together. As the youngest child, John brought a special presence and warmth to their lives and care. John helped our parents to be interested in living and feel relevant with each passing day. Wilbur would live to be 102, and Bertha 94; these were huge lives, and we thank you John for the great joy you brought to them and our entire family in your 60 years. We will always be in your debt. For all of us who knew John, or Johnny as he was known to many, he will be greatly missed. He will be remembered for the spirits he raised with his smile, stories and humor; as well as for his huge heart, and his love of family and friends. Our mother Bertha was a consumate storyteller; she would draw a crowd, and basically hold court. John had so much of her personality in him. It’s fair to say Johnny, “you’re right up with the best”. Keep on telling your stories; we will always be listening out for them, and remembering the way you brought so much joy to all of us in your life. At this point and upon reading the above, John would likely say, “Hey, did I tell you the story of ….”. John is survived by his siblings Lynn, Michael, Peter, Mark and Mary; his niece Molly, and nephews Stephen, Brian, Michael, Sean and Jeff. Additionally, his sisters-in law Linda, Teresa and P.B., as well as his brother-in-law Jim. The family plans to have a Celebration of Life gathering in Florida for his many friends, and that date will be communicated in the future through this funeral home’s website. Please check in periodically for any updates. There will be a link to an additional website for the further gathering of contact information and comments from friends as we plan for the Celebration of Life. If you would like to contact a family member, please feel free to reach out to Mark Garrett, whose email address is bo.garrett@gmail.com, or whose cell is 410-924-0571. The family also plans to have a Celebration of Life gathering in Maryland prior to John being laid to rest along side of our parents.

John L. Garrett

July 16, 1959 - August 31, 2019