Edward A. Garand

Edward Adjutor Garand, of Florence, passed away peacefully at his home, Thursday, May 28, 2020, after a short illness. He was 88. He was born in Montpelier, Vermont on March 2, 1932, the son of Henri and Irma Garand. After graduating from St. Michael’s High School in 1949, he was a seminarian for a year and later worked briefly as a tool-and-die apprentice before being drafted into the armed forces. He served a term of duty in Korea during the Korean conflict, and upon returning home married the love of his life, Dorothy (Hamlin) in June 1955; he and Dorothy immediately started a family, which grew to eight children by 1967. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Vermont in 1958 and embarked on a successful career as an electrical engineer, working with Gulf Oil Corporation (in Philadelphia) from 1958-1960, Tansitor Electronics (in Bennington, Vermont) from 1960-1970, and with Nytronics Components Group (in Darlington, South Carolina) from 1970 until his retirement in 1994. Edward lived a truly wonderful life. He was a devoted father and husband, and his life revolved around his family and friends. His home was always open and the center of social life in the Garand family. He was known for his sense of humor and always greeted people with a friendly smile. He was very active until the very end—he rode his motorcycle until he was 80, rode his bicycle and walked twice a day until his mid-80s, and then even as he slowed down he walked a mile (and sometimes two) each day. He was a person of strong religious faith and a dedicated parishioner at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church for 50 years, attending Mass daily and serving as a lector. He was active in charitable work, serving as a Hospice volunteer and regularly donating time and money to Cooks for Christ, the Parking Lot Mission, Toys for Tots, and various programs to fund supplies for public school children. He loved his family and friends dearly and was loved dearly and adored by his family and friends in return. Edward was predeceased by his parents and brother (Armand), as well as by his wife Dorothy. He leaves behind eight children—Dr. James Garand (Dr. Pamela Monroe) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Judy Dushane of Florence; Nancy Watts (Rick) of Florence; Laurie Hyman (Dale Wiersema) of Florence; Dr. Joseph Garand (Karyn) of Easley, South Carolina; Jane Brandis (Mark) of Florence; Jon Garand (Faye) of Florence; and Robert Garand (Kim) of Florence—along with 18 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and many “adopted” children, including Dr. Robert Bradley of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, as well as Edward’s dear companion, Margaret Sprenger of Florence. The funeral mass celebrating the life of Edward will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday, June 6 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Because of the Covid-19 outbreak and requirements of social distancing, no collective visitation will be held. Friends who wish to pay respects may do so at Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home during the week preceding the funeral mass. Edward valued education and often donated to the classrooms of educators in his family, and he would be pleased to continue support for children in need by providing necessary school supplies. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations may be made to Pate Elementary School, 1010 Indian Branch Road, Darlington, SC29532, Subject:Ed Garand's School Supply Fund.