​Robert 'Bob' Ellige Garrett, 62

Obituary and service information from Money and King Funeral Home:

Robert "Bob" Ellige Garrett, 62, of Vienna, passed away unexpectedly on December 18, 2016. Born in Port Huron, Michigan, on October 6, 1954, Bob had the heart of a sailor and lived a life of adventure – by land and by water - before making his home in Northern Virginia.

Bob graduated from the Coast Guard Academy with the Class of '76, earning a bachelor of science in civil engineering and honorably serving his country in the US Coast Guard for 20 years. His most memorable assignments included duty aboard the IRONWOOD in Adak, Alaska; at LORAN Station Yap; aboard COWSLIP and SORREL in Governors Island, New York; and tours at Group Moriches, New York and Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. He also deployed on the POLAR STAR to Antarctica and the MACKINAW to the Great Lakes. He went on to earn a master's degree in management from University of Maryland University College before retiring in 1996. Following military service, Bob continued working in project management and operations analysis for Coast Guard programs at companies in Connecticut and the D.C. area. His career culminated at the MITRE Corporation, where he was a principal systems engineer.

Bob was known for his tremendous and unconventional sense of humor, his colorful point of view, and his enthusiasm for life. Whether a chef, gardener, builder, or cruciverbalist, Bob always approached everything he did with full commitment. He will be remembered for his devotion to his family and his love of sailing aboard his boat, aptly named "My Way." Frequently found tinkering on My Way, he often talked of his dream to sail her with family and friends to Bermuda.

His loss has left a hole that will be felt by many. He is survived by his loving wife, July, and seven year old daughter Caroline of Vienna; his adult daughters, Tracy and Kelly; his sisters, Kathleen and husband Jack of Arlington, Susan, and Sharon; his brother, Gordon; and a loving extended family.

He is preceded in death by his parents, William Ellige Garrett and Bettie Lee Garrett.

Services will be held Thursday, January 5, 2017. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. with a memorial service at 2 p.m. at the Money and King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Avenue West in Vienna, VA. Interment will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Bob Garrett Memorial Fund, benefiting Caroline's future educational expenses.

Online donations can be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/rober...

Checks can be sent to: The Bob Garrett Memorial Fund, Account No: 3078344771, c/o Navy Federal Credit Union, PO Box 3100, Merrifield VA 22119

Online condolences and fond memories of Bob may be offered to the family at www.moneyandking.com

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