Jackie Wayne Garrison

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Jackie Wayne Garrison spent very little time on this earth twiddling his thumbs. He was always doing something, and often it was activities that involved other people. Among the activities he enjoyed were gardening, traveling and collecting coins. One of his favorite activities was storytelling, and he always added some color to make them interesting.

Jackie died May 26 at the age of 82. He grew up in Cat Island, attended Elizabethton schools and later worked at North American Rayon, retiring from ColorWorks. Jackie was married to his wife, Linda Kay, for 52 years. She died in 2015. According to his daughter, Tina Miller, Jackie and Kay met at Lily’s Market in Elizabethton, which was owned and managed by her mother.

Jackie enjoyed traveling, and he and Kay went on a lot of cruises, some with friends. One of their last trips was a cruise to Alaska with friends, which included Phil and Judy Nave and Doyle and Faye Hendrix.

When it came to gardening, Jackie enjoyed growing vegetables — and sharing them with others. Tina said that before her mother’s health became bad, she taught Jackie to cook. “He turned out to be a really good cook. His cornbread and cathead biscuits were the best,” said Tina, noting that her dad could cook almost anything.

“Dad was a big history buff. He enjoyed reading and learning about history. In fact, he had read a set of encyclopedias at least four times. He enjoyed learning new things,” Tina shared.

She also added that Jackie was a fan of John Wayne and enjoyed watching his movies.

Jackie was a Christian and had attended churches of different faiths. “When he was growing up, he attended First Free Will Baptist Church in Elizabethton. Later, when my brothers and I were growing up and for some time after, he and Mom attended church with us at Beck Mountain Baptist, which was near where we lived. And later, he attended church at Hampton Christian Church,” Tina shared. “He had friends in all of them and enjoyed the fellowship of the churches,” she further added.

In addition to Tina, Jackie and Kay had two sons, Mark and Jeff, plus six grandchildren.

Jackie Garrison enjoyed the time he spent with his family and friends and was always open to making new friends. He also believed that learning was a lifelong process.

One thing about Jackie, he never tired of making friends, and in the end he was thankful for the care he received. A nurse at Ivy Hall Nursing Home recalled how Jackie was always grateful for the care he received. “He never failed to thank you,” she said.

Jackie was laid to rest at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Jackie may be gone, but his stories will live on, and from time to time, his memory and his stories will draw a smile from those who called him “friend.”