Fern, Vern, Vernace the Furnace, Big Pops, Burt, Moose, Big Kahuna, Lips, Vermin, dude with big legs, the guy who always wears bright-colored shorts all year… the King of Makawao was a stubborn pain in the ass, but we loved him. On Dec. 7, 2019, we lost him to a combination of construction dust, a few too many cigarettes in his earlier years, roughly 16,650 lbs of red meat, a sweet tooth, and maybe a bit of overindulgence. Medically we call this pulmonary fibrosis and congestive heart failure, but hey- at least we know he enjoyed his steak. Vern lived a full life, regardless of the circumstances at the end.
Born to Ivol Vernon and Virginia Garrison Sept. 3, 1944 in San Francisco California, Ivol (Vern) Vernon Garrison, Jr. grew up in Stockton, California to become an athlete earning football scholarships, a scholar as an exceptional student in linguistics, a community member as a Boy Scout for troop 57 and in the ROTC and an entrepreneur with successful business endeavors. Those attributes held true throughout his lifetime.
He earned a degree at University of the Pacific that led him to teach high school English until the call from the Alaskan Pipeline drew him to Prudhoe Bay in the early 1970s. Shortly thereafter he began his life in the northwest and settled in Quilcene. From there, many more adventures ensued and he came to call Port Townsend home. As a contractor, he found opportunity in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington and California. He built many homes and lifelong friendships along the way.
A force in our community, Vern was a past member of the city council, a long time advocate for affordable housing and an active contractor in Port Townsend. Vern freely shared his opinions and ideas and gave his guidance and support whether solicited or not. Often, those words held a gem of knowledge that sometimes left us scratching our heads, yet inspired us in some way. When Vern wasn’t traveling to job sites in his recognizable green van, he could be found enjoying time spent on a boat waiting for the fish to bite or riding his bike throughout town and at the Fort. He also loved spending time at the beach with his grandchildren.
Vern is survived by his wife Kathleen Fox, brother Anthony Genovese, sons Abe and Alex Fox, daughters Bella Fox-Garrison, Cenia Garrison and Amy Jordan, grand-children Caleb Jordan Arthur, Laila Garrison, Jaxen Fox, Josephine (Jo) and Matheson (Matti) Fox.
Join us in remembering Vernon Garrison, and help us pour one out for Big Ol’ Pop because he was one of the greats and we are going to miss him so much. We would like to gather all those who loved, were fond of, or “tolerated” Vern in one place to remember the good days, laugh, and celebrate his life, Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Northwest Maritime Center 3:30-5 p.m.
Rememberingivgarrison2019.squarespace.com
Vern had a passion for our community and encouraged and supported life-long learning.
In lieu of cards or flowers, please consider a donation to the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.
