Grover Garrett

Grover Garrett, 91, passed away on December 18, 2023 in Cleveland, Tennessee, surrounded by family and loved ones. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and friend to all. Loved by all who knew him, Grover never met a stranger, making deep and lasting friendships wherever he went.

A visitation for friends and family will take place on Friday, December 22 at Cochran Funeral Home, 177 Rice Street in Hiawassee, Georgia. Following the visitation, a service celebrating Grover’s life will begin at 1:00 p.m. 

Grover is survived by his wife, Emily Garrett, originally of Locust Grove, Georgia; his sister, Jean Westmoreland of Cleveland, Tennessee; daughters Shari Garrett-Miller (Eric) of Cropwell, AL and Regina Mohseni (Mehrdod) of Denver, Colorado; grandchildren Colin Miller of Birmingham, Alabama, Kaivon Mohseni (Haley) of Marietta, Georgia, and Natasha Mohseni of Denver; nieces Robyn Westmoreland and Rhonda Britt of Cleveland, Tennessee, grand-nephew Joshua Cabrera (Nikki) and great-grand niece Haley, Cabrera, all of Cleveland, TN.

Grover was born on August 29, 1932 in Hiawassee, Georgia to Marlor Garrett and Claudine Ramey Garrett, who both preceded him in death. He married the love of his life, Emily Lou Benton on September 12, 1958, and they recently celebrated 65 years of marriage together.

Grover grew up in his cherished hometown of Hiawassee. He often spoke of his formative years there, where he walked to Fodder Creek School every day to take classes in a two-room schoolhouse heated by a wood stove. Always an entrepreneur, Grover arrived to school early, earning fifty cents a week by stoking the stove to ensure the school was warm by school time. His seventh grade class consisted of just Grover and one other classmate, who no doubt appreciated Grover stoking the fire.  

In those days, Grover thought little of life outside of Hiawassee and Towns County, but upon graduating from high school in 1949, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served as a radar mechanic until 1952. After his military service, he returned to Towns County, where he attended Young Harris College before moving  onto Atlanta to attend Georgia State College (now Georgia State University) where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting in 1960.  He put himself through college by working at Lockheed Corporation in Marietta, where he was blessed to meet Emily. 

Grover spent most of his career with Mead, where he served in progressively more senior leadership and executive positions first at Mead Packaging in California and Georgia, then with Mead Ink Products working as a General Manager in Alabama. He and Emily returned to Hiawassee in 1990 upon Grover’s retirement. They resided in Hiawassee until earlier this year, when they moved to Cleveland, Tennessee. 

One of his favorite hobbies was playing golf with his friends. Grover also loved keeping his account books and spending time with his friends and family. He and Emily travelled extensively, making memories together around the world. He was also committed to charitable and civic causes, having served for years in the Towns County Lions Club, on the board of the Georgia Mountain Fair, and as a member of the Towns County Chamber of Commerce. He was involved in the United Way of Atlanta, served as a trustee of the Atlanta Area Services for the Blind, and served in numerous other community and charitable organizations. 

Grover was a tremendous success in business and in life, but he never lost touch with his roots.  Whether golfing at Pebble Beach, playing cards at the 21 Club in New York, or simply eating corn bread and milk with family and friends, he never neglected to count his many blessings. He would often look back to his days growing up as a skinny boy in overalls in Hiawassee, and say, “Thank you Lord for being much too good to me.”  Grover’s loved ones now look back and say, “Thank you, Grover, for being much too good to us.”

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you consider a donation to the United Way or the Lions Club International Foundation.