William Garrett

William (Bill) Garrett of Davidson, NC passed away peacefully on Monday, November 29^th.  He was 91 years old.  Bill’s wife of 60 years, Helen MacGregor Garrett, predeceased him in 2013.  He is survived by his daughter Deirdre MacGregor Garrett and husband David Weber, his son William John MacGregor Garrett and wife Patricia Garrett, and his beloved grandson John MacGregor Garrett and fiancée Bridget Dowd.  He was a kind and generous man with an engaging personality.  A loving, and much loved, father, grandfather and uncle who will be missed every day.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland on December 23, 1929, Bill was the eldest son of John and Helen Payton Garrett and brother of Gerald Garrett.  He and Helen were married on April 4^th, 1953 at Maxwell Parish Church in Glasgow.  They immigrated to Canada in 1957 for a two year adventure.  In 1959 they went on to make the United States their home, living in Sussex County and Chatham, New Jersey before they retired to Norfolk, Virginia in 1991.

Bill graduated from the Allan Glen’s school and later as a structural engineer from the Royal Technical College, now Strathclyde University.  He served his two years national service as an air traffic controller in the Royal Air Force.  A Licensed Professional Engineer in several states,during his career he worked for McKinnon Structural Steel, the Willis and Paul Group, Allied Corporation, and retired from Union Carbide Corporation.

He was a member of the 108^th Boys Brigade in Scotland and a Boy Scout leader in New Jersey.  He was a past Master of the Hope Masonic Lodge #150 and a member of the Masonic Kilties of New Jersey.  A life member of the American Clan Gregor Society, Bill was also a member of the Clan Gregor Society in Scotland, a member of the St. Andrews Society of New York, the Burns Federation, and the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.  In his younger days he was a long distance cycler and hill climber.  An avid golfer, he played for years in company leagues and was a member of the Longniddry Golf Club in Scotland.

Bill’s memory may be honored by contributions to the Atrium Health Foundation - Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas Leukemia Research Fund either on their web site (https://www.atriumhealthfoundation.org/cancer) or by mail at the Atrium Health Foundation 208 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC  28203