Gary Alan Garber's Obituary
Gary Alan Garber, 77, of Palmerville, NC, was peacefully reunited with the Lord on January 10, 2026, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He entered into eternity with his wife and daughter by his side as he passed at home.
Gary was born on October 18, 1948, in Washington, DC, to John and Violet (Kroh) Garber. During his childhood, the family moved to New Orleans, LA and then eventually settled in Burlington, NC, where Gary graduated from Walter M. Williams High School. He continued his education at Wingate University before transferring to UNC-Chapel Hill and he graduated in 1970 with a degree in Business Administration.
While at UNC, he was introduced to Martha Ingram on a blind date at the NC State Fair. During their courtship, Gary received #5 in the first draft for the Vietnam War and after joining the Navy, was sent to San Diego, CA, for duty, while Martha started her career in New York City. Their love survived a cross-country romance, and after dating for two years, they were married on July 22, 1972. During their 53 years of marriage, they experienced four years of active duty, multiple moves across the Southeast, the birth of their daughter, Kathleen, in 1983, career and job changes, and retirement to their beloved house on Badin Lake. They did all of this together and with at least one (if not two) dogs in tow.
After returning to Burlington, NC, in 1986, Gary finished his career in textiles and shifted to a sales and marketing role with Vocational Trades of Alamance County. In this role, he worked with numerous local businesses and manufacturers to source jobs for individuals with mental and developmental disabilities. Even after retiring from VTA in 2005, he often spoke fondly of the “clients” he was able to support and assist.
Gary was committed to serving and improving his community throughout his life. He was a regular blood donor with the American Red Cross and an active volunteer with a local chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association for many years. He had a great skill for getting artwork and other items donated for CCA’s annual banquets and silent auctions, and helped raise thousands of dollars for conservation efforts.
A lifelong fisherman, Gary loved hosting family and friends at the lake. He would enthusiastically volunteer to drive the boat for tubing, skiing, and kneeboarding adventures. Sometimes, it was hard to tell who was having more fun, the person being towed or Gary, who would be quietly chuckling to himself and saying “watch this” while he cut back across the wake. From fish fries, late nights on the deck, nightly quests to find an “action, adventure, and comedy” movie for everyone to watch, to fishing lessons, spending time with others at the lake was one of the greatest gifts that Gary shared with others.
Gary was predeceased by his parents, great-niece Clarissa Grace Ingram, and multiple family pets: Happy, Charlotte, Shadow, Zipper, Frisky, Scooter, and Bandit. He is survived by his wife Martha Garber of the home; daughter Kathleen Garber of Winston-Salem, NC; his sister Patti (Coleman) Long of Wilmington, NC and numerous nieces and nephews: Ryan (Natalie), Jonathan (Erin), Brighton, AJ, Grady, Kim (Carey) Joey, Jill, Jon, Andrew, Brianna (Jon), Alison, Tyler (Kelly), Travis, Jamie, Jonas, Jack, Kalvin, and Quinn.
Services will be held on January 17, 2026, at Stanly Funeral Home in Albemarle, NC. Visitation will be at 10 AM with the service to begin at 11 AM. The family will have a private graveside service immediately after the funeral.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to CCA North Carolina (https://ccanc.org/donate/, 4809 Hargrove Rd., Suite 123, Raleigh, NC 27616) or the American Red Cross (https://redcross.org/donate, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839).
Martha and Kathleen would like to express their gratitude to all of the family members and friends who have supported them through this time. Special thanks to the nurses and staff of Tillery Compassionate Care who helped them guide and comfort Gary in his final days.
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