Memorial Service and Reception Honoring Former Delta CEO Dave Garrett
The following is posted on on the AJC web site ~ www.ajc.com/news/former-delta-ceo-david-1452035.html
Atlanta General Offices memorial planned for Dave Garrett on June 12
Dave, who was Delta’s CEO from 1978 until his retirement in 1987, passed away on Saturday at his home in North Georgia.
The service will take place in the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum near The Spirit of Delta, the Boeing 767 purchased by employees in 1982 during Dave’s tenure as CEO. The memorial will be open to all active and retired Delta employees and their families.
After entering the campus, signs will lead to the parking area for the service.
In June 2009, Delta dedicated a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft to Dave to commemorate his leadership and the important role he played in Delta’s history.
Personal condolences may be sent to the Garrett family at P.O. Box 549, Dawsonville, Ga., 30534-0011. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Presbyterian Home of Georgia ============================================
DAVID C. GARRETT JR., 89 Former Delta CEO earned trust, respect South Carolina native joined company in 1946.
Newspaper Obituary Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The (GA) - June 5, 2012
DAVID C. GARRETT JR., 89 Former Delta CEO earned trust, respect South Carolina native joined company in 1946.
From ticket counter to chief executive's office, David C. Garrett Jr. knew every nook and cranny of Delta Air Lines. He worked his way up through the ranks and earned the love and respect of a number of co-workers along the way.
Mr. Garrett, widely known as Dave, died Saturday at his Dawsonville home from natural causes, family members said. He was 89.
Arrangements for a memorial service are being made, said his son, David Clyde "Dave" Garrett III. SouthCare Cremation and Funeral Society, Alpharetta, is in charge of arrangements.
A native of Pickens, S.C., Mr. Garrett joined Delta as a reservation agent in 1946, shortly after he returned from service in the Army Air Corps during World War II. His son said the allure of aviation was already in his father's system, so taking a job with Delta seemed like a natural move. During the next 41 years, he helped Delta grow from a small regional carrier into the nation's fourth-largest airline amid some of the most tumultuous periods in the history of the American airline industry.
"Dave Garrett was the very embodiment of Delta: a keeper of its invaluable traditions but also a leader who led the expansion into the Western U.S., elevating the airline into a powerful national carrier," former Delta CEO Jerry Grinstein said in a prepared statement. "It was during Dave's tenure that the people of Delta gave a 767 to the company, a perfect symbol of what makes Delta unique. That gift also represents the continuing trust and respect at every level of the company that is Dave's very special legacy."
One of Mr. Garrett's proudest moments was in 2009, when a Boeing 777-200LR bearing his name and signature was dedicated. That's a massive, high-tech aircraft that can deliver 400 passengers nonstop to any point on the planet.
"To see that big triple-7 sitting there and it had his signature on the side of the plane, well it meant the world to him," his son said. "Because while he may have retired, he really never left Delta. He loved Delta and its people until the day he died."
Former employees remember Mr. Garrett as a personable man who cared deeply for others. Jackie B. Pate, who retired from Delta in 2003 as the general manager of corporate communications, said she will always remember Mr. Garrett coming to her table at Melear's Barbecue in Union City to say hello.
"He saw me, and more than that, he knew my name," she said. "I think that impressed me more than anything, because I hadn't been with the company long at that time. But he thought enough to come and say hello to my husband and me."
The people of Delta were much more than employees to Mr. Garrett, his son said, adding, "He always took the interest of the people of the company to heart."
Bob Coggin, who retired from Delta in 1998 as the executive vice president of marketing, said personal relationships and aircraft maintenance were two of Mr. Garrett's strongest points.
"He fostered an environment at Delta that made its aircraft maintenance department the envy of the industry," Mr. Coggin said. "And when I heard about his passing, I just had to take a moment, because it wasn't like I was hearing about a guy I worked for 20 years ago, but it was like hearing your grandfather died."
There was nothing fabricated about the family atmosphere at Delta during Mr. Garrett's time at the helm, his son said. He met his first wife, Lu Thomasson, while they both worked in reservations, their son said. The two wed in 1947, after which she left the company, and they had been married nearly 50 years when she died in 1996.
"I've always said I was from the biggest family in the state of Georgia, because it has included not only our immediate family, but every Delta employee who ever lived," his son said. "That's how he always felt, and that's how I feel."
Mr. Garrett also is survived by his wife of more than 13 years, the Rev. Eleana Manuel Garrett; a daughter, Dr. Virginia Galvin of Marietta; another son, Charles T. Garrett of Savannah; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
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Delta Mourns Passing of Former CEO David C. Garrett
Memorial Service Planned June 12
The Delta family is mourning the passing of former CEO and Chairman David Clyde Garrett Jr., who served the airline for four decades.
Dave joined Delta in 1946 as a reservations agent. He became president in 1971, and was Delta’s chief executive officer from 1978 until his retirement in 1987. He remained on the board until 1994.
“He was a great leader of Delta and we are sad at his passing but so thankful for the great legacy he left behind at Delta,” said Richard Anderson, Delta’s CEO. “From the Delta family, we extend our condolences to his family.”
Dave Garrett died on June 2 at his home in Georgia. His son, Dave Garrett III, fondly remembers his father taking coffee to employees at the airport on cold days. “Delta people cannot imagine how important they were to him,” he said. “From the time I was a little guy, Delta was part of our family. And whenever he talked about what made Delta great, it was about the people.”
Upon learning of Dave’s passing, Delta former CEO Jerry Grinstein said, “Dave Garrett was the very embodiment of Delta - a keeper of its invaluable traditions but also a leader who led the expansion into the Western U.S., elevating the airline into a powerful national carrier.” He added, “It was during Dave's tenure that the people of Delta gave a 767 to the company, a perfect symbol of what makes Delta unique. That gift also represents the continuing trust and respect at every level of the company that is Dave's very special legacy.”
An article that ran Oct. 27, 1994 in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported David C. Garrett saying that his most precious memory was in [1982] when Delta employees raised enough money to purchase a Boeing 767 for the airline. He called it a “great day, a very emotional day.” On June 10, 2009, Delta dedicated a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft to Dave as a testament to his leadership and the important role he played in Delta’s history.
A memorial service and reception are planned for Tuesday, June 12, in the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum’s Hangar Two at Delta’s world headquarters, 1060 Delta Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30354, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Directional signage will lead to parking for the service.
Personal condolences may be sent to the Garrett family at P.O. Box 549, Dawsonville, GA 30534-0011. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be sent to the Presbyterian Home of Georgia: http://presbyterianhomesinc.org/donate.html
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Attached is the Delta statement and information about Mr. Garrett's memorial service. This is the document that should be distributed to your groups. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks. Susan
Susan T. Hudson
Assistant Corporate Secretary
Manager - Delta Event Management
Delta Air Lines, Inc., Dept. 696
P. O. Box 20706
Atlanta, GA 30320
Phone 404-715-5775
Online condolences can be posted at www.legacy.com/guestbook/atlanta/guestbook.aspx?n=david-garrett&pid=157933290&cid=view
Former Delta CEO David C. Garrett Jr., 89, dies, By
Former Delta Air Lines Chief Executive David C. Garrett Jr. has died, family members have confirmed. He was 89.
Photo by Bita Honarvar
Former Delta Air Lines Chief Executive David C. Garrett Jr., seen here at a Delta event in 2009, has died at the age of 89.
Word has reached us that Delta’s much loved and highly respected former CEO Dave Garrett has passed away. Born July 6, 1922 David Clyde Garrett Jr. was nearly 90 years of age at the time of his passing June 2, 2012. Dave Garrett served his country well and was a WWII veteran. He hired on with Delta July 1946 and was Chairman of the Board and CEO at the time of his retirement. Dave was a man committed to his country, his community, his family and his airline. Even after retirement Mr. Garrett maintained his love for Delta Air Lines and remained involved as a member of the Delta Golden Wings and the Delta Pioneers. Yes, Mr. Garrett loved Delta Air Lines, but what always shined through was his love for the Delta rank-and-file never forgetting that the employees are what made Delta a true family and a great airline. It is that mutual love and respect that will always be so fondly remembered of Mr. Garrett. We thank and will always remember Dave Garrett for his fine leadership and his many contributions to our airline.
Mr. Garrett became the airline’s fourth CEO in 1978. When he retired as CEO in 1987, at age 65, he was also chairman of the board. He continued to serve on the board until he retired in 1994, at the age of 72.
Mr. Garrett's career with Delta began in 1946 in ticket sales. Over the next 41 years, he helped Delta grow from a small regional carrier into the nation's fourth-largest airline amid some of the most tumultuous periods in the history of the American airline industry.
There are two aircraft in the Delta fleet that recognize Mr. Garrett's legacy, according to the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum. One of them is a Boeing 777-200LR, a massive high-tech aircraft that can deliver 400 passengers nonstop to any point on the planet. His name and signature are emblazoned across the front of the aircraft.
"There was not a place in Delta I did not stick my nose in at some point," Mr. Garrett said during the 2009 dedication ceremony for the plane.
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Word has reached us that Delta’s much loved and highly respected former CEO Dave Garrett has passed away. Born July 6, 1922 David Clyde Garrett Jr. was nearly 90 years of age at the time of his passing June 2, 2012. Dave Garrett served his country well and was a WWII veteran. He hired on with Delta July 1946 and was Chairman of the Board and CEO at the time of his retirement. Dave was a man committed to his country, his community, his family and his airline. Even after retirement Mr. Garrett maintained his love for Delta Air Lines and remained involved as a member of the Delta Golden Wings and the Delta Pioneers. Yes, Mr. Garrett loved Delta Air Lines, but what always shined through was his love for the Delta rank-and-file never forgetting that the employees are what made Delta a true family and a great airline. It is that mutual love and respect that will always be so fondly remembered of Mr. Garrett. We thank and will always remember Dave Garrett for his fine leadership and his many contributions to our airline.
At the time of this writing service arrangements are not yet finalized. We will be sure to pass along that information as soon as word has been received from the family. For those wishing to send a personal note, personal condolences may be sent to the Garrett family at
P.O. Box 549
Dawsonville, GA 30534-0011
~ IN MEMORY ~
David C. Garrett Jr., 1922-2012
“David C. Garrett, Jr. (born 1922) is an American businessman. He received his undergraduate degree from Furman University and was a 1955 graduate of the Georgia Tech College of Management and the CEO of Delta Air Lines from 1978 to 1987. Garrett won the Tony Jannus Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Scheduled Air Transportation in 1983. He is a veteran of World War II. Furman University has an endowed chair in their Economics Department named in his honor.”
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It is with a deep sense of saddness to notify the pilot group of the death of a fine gentleman, and an icon of the 1940's-1980's "Delta Family". Dave Garrett passed away peacefully in his home on Saturday morning June 02. David C. Garrett Jr., served as past President, CEO,and Chairman of the Board of Delta Airlines, from 1970-1987. Dave began his career with Delta in 1946 after returning from service with the Army Air Corps in WW II. Dave will be remembered for his devotion not only to Delta Air Lines, but to each of the members of what he fondly referred to as his Delta Family. Dave's beloved wife, Eleana was at his side throughout Dave's "final flight west". No funeral plans have been announced at this time.
Roland C. Gaasch, Capt. Retired 2002
rcgaasch@juno.com 678 520-3078
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Atlanta Sydney , Australia
Roland C. Gaasch, Capt. Retired 2002
rcgaasch@juno.com 678 520-3078
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B777 Ship 7108 "David C. Garrett"
Kicking off a week of celebrations commemorating 80 years of Delta passenger service, Delta dedicated a long-range 777 to former CEO David C. Garrett on June 10, 2009. Garrett served as Delta CEO from 1978 to 1987.
"Mr. Garrett started working for [Delta founder C.E.] Woolman in 1946. He continued to progress through every step in managing this airline until the time he retired as chairman of the board in the 1990s. He did a phenomenal job! He is a role model for all of us in our daily lives, both as a business man and as a good human being who really knew how to run a business. So, it's fitting and appropriate that an airline with big jets dedicates its newest, biggest jet to Mr. Garrett."
Delta CEO Richard Anderson on June 10, 2009
Ship 7108 David C. Garrett went into service between Delta CEO Richard Anderson on June 10, 2009
On behalf of the entire PCN we extend our deepest and sincere sympathies to Eleana and the family. All of us in the Delta family have suffered a loss. David guarded and cared for the airline very well. His legacy will be long remembered.
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