Garrett John Garry, devoted to family, service
Garrett John Garry passed away surrounded by the love of his family. Garret’s parents, William and Dorothy Garry of Trenton, N.J., predeceased him. He is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Kathleen Garry. Garret was a devoted father to his daughters, Dana Garry Appleby and her husband John, Gina Garry Ling and her husband John; and son, Gary P. Garry. He was a proud grandfather to Joshua Robinson, Tayler Appleby Andrews (Ethan), Ben Appleby (Abby), Ashleigh Ling Hanenfeld (Nathan), and Alyssa Ling (Robert), and a loving great-grandfather to Raegan and Connor Robinson. Garret shared a deep bond with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and found his greatest joy in time spent with family.
Garret was an only child but shared lifelong brotherly bonds with his cousins Jack Schmidt and Kenneth Novac, who predeceased him. He also remained close with his cousin Joyce (deceased) and her husband Dave of Nevada, as well as with Ted Garry (deceased) and Libby, also of Nevada.
His funeral wishes were that all who knew him would remember his good deeds and forgive him of all his misdeeds, and occasionally recall the good days. “Do not mourn my passing, I’ve had it better than I deserved.”
Garret proudly served in the U.S. armed forces. He enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 1953, later serving in the Air National Guard and the U.S. Navy. He trained and served as a hospital corpsman and was honorably discharged in 1962 from the Marine Corps base in Trenton, N.J., as an HM Second Class. During his military career, he was stationed aboard the USS Estes out of San Diego, Calif., and served in multiple naval hospitals and Marine stations.
Garret graduated from Hamilton High School in Hamilton Twp., N.J. Garret attended Trenton Junior College and graduated from The American College of Financial Services.
Professionally, Garret began his career with Metropolitan Life as a manager in South River, N.J. He went on to become a senior vice president at Sun Life before establishing his own successful financial services firm, AGK Inc., alongside his longtime business partner and close friend, Daniel Webster. He was supported throughout his career by his trusted administrative assistants, Cathy Lanocha and Mary Ann Huber, who worked with him for many years. Garret was a lifelong learner and earned numerous professional designations, including CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, and FSCP. He was a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table and held various leadership positions within the financial services industry.
Garret was also deeply committed to his recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, where he remained active for more than 40 years. He often said that without AA, he wouldn’t have lived the life he did—and his family wholeheartedly agrees. His wife and children are forever grateful for the joy, love, and stability that his recovery brought into their lives.
Garret’s legacy is one of dedication—to his family, his service, his profession, and his personal growth. He will be remembered with deep love and gratitude by all who knew him.
Garret supported many charities over the years. Consider donating to Covenant House, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or the Wounded Warrior Project. They were some of his favorites. “We will carry his memory in our hearts forever.”
Visitation will be held from 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 6, at McComas Funeral Home, Bel Air, Md., with services to follow.
