Rock Hill, SC – Shirley H. Garnett, 79 of Rock Hill, SC passed away Friday, December 13, 2024 at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill SC.
Shirley was born on June 14,1945 in Greensboro, NC, the middle daughter of John C. Hackett and Dorothy K. Hackett. Shirley is predeceased by both of her parents and her husband John G. Garnett, Jr. Early in life, the Hackett family moved to Brunswick GA where Shirley attended school and graduated high school at Glynn Academy High School with many accomplishments throughout the years including being a cheerleader and playing piano for the Glynn Academy Glee Club.
Once Shirley graduated high school, she decided to move to Charlotte NC to attend Kings College where she graduated with a Secretarial Degree. After graduating, she was able to secure a secretarial job with Celanese in Charlotte, NC where she met her husband, John G Garnett, Jr. After a brief stay with Celanese she applied for a job with IBM in 1965 and was able to secure that job which she loved and eventually retired from after 30 years, but not before earning several awards and acknowledgements for outstanding work. Shirley and her husband were able to travel to many great places for her job including Hawaii for two weeks. Shirley made several close and lasting friendships within the IBM family and stayed in touch with them after retirement and attended luncheons with her “group of gals “as often as possible.
Shirley enjoyed many hobbies and activities throughout her life including cross stitch where she created many intricate pictures, ornaments and pillows for friends and family members. Shirley also had a passion for children and animals. She would always have 4-5 hummingbird feeders and you could not walk onto the back deck without 20-30 hummingbirds whizzing by your head. Her latest passion/love was playing with her Labrador Retriever named Georgia. Every afternoon was a ritual of Shirley throwing a stick or a ball for Georgia to retrieve. The only one to get tired was Shirley while Georgia was standing there wanting to continue. Shirley loved her two granddaughters, Elizabeth and Jessica more than life itself. Her granddaughters were the apples of her eye and could do no wrong. She looked forward to lunches, shopping or just times when they visited and you could see her eyes light up when they were making plans for a day or when they walked through the door.
Shirley was a true Georgia Bulldog fan forever but unfortunately was subjected to going to South Carolina Gamecock games for many years. She made it work and was able to attend a game or two and pull for her Bulldogs. The beach was always Shirley’s special place. There was no other place she would rather be whether it was just lying in the sun, walking in the edge of the surf finding sharks teeth for hours or her and her husband John shagging to beach music through the night. Shirley was always helping and taking care of others selflessly no matter what. If someone was sick or needed her help she would be there and most of the time one did not need to ask, she just took it upon herself to step in and do whatever was needed. She always thought about others before herself. Shirley valued family and close friends more than anything. Through the years she spent many vacations with her sisters either seeing the country in her and her husband’s RV, all three sisters and their husbands going on a cruise, relaxing by the ocean in Hoodsport, WA or just a relaxing day on the beach in Fernandina Beach, FL.
Shirley is survived by her son, Richard G Garnett and his children, Elizabeth A Garnett and Jessica M Garnett; her younger sister, Janetmarie Wolfe; her older sister, Betty H Waite and her son, Steven Anderson, his wife Stephanie Anderson and their children Dylan and Wiley Anderson and Betty’s younger son, Scott Anderson and his children, Cole and Keaton Anderson.
Visitation will be December 18, 2024 at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel 2133 Ebenezer Road, Rock Hill SC 29732 from 4:30pm-6pm.
A Celebration of Life will be planned after the holiday season for early spring.
In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to: Wounded Warrior Project, c/o www.woundedwarriorproject.org and the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.