Robert Phillip Garand passed away peacefully at home on November 14, 2023. He was born Joseph Philip Robert Garand on October 27, 1940 in Woburn, CANADA to Phillias and Emeline (Fortier) Garand. He joined two older brothers, Jean Baptiste and Andre, and an older sister, Antoinette, and a younger sister, Olivette, arrived the following year. His father moved the family into the US just across the border into a village by the name of Coburn Gore, Maine. As a teenager, his family moved to Bristol, Connecticut and that is where his parents remained. He served four years in the Air Force and then made his way to Boulder, Colorado where he started his career with IBM.
He met Ethel Anne Rance at Manuel’s Sweet Shop where she worked. He changed his name to Robert Phillip Garand, as Ethel had always called him Bob. They married May 4, 1968 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Boulder, CO. IBM moved them several times but they eventually returned with their three children, Robert M, Jonathan, and Katrina to Colorado.
He coached the boys in several of their sports teams and assisted with his daughter’s softball team. He attended their volleyball games as they played in school and even once they were out and playing for clubs, he still went to watch. He loved to watch football on TV and other sports when the time allowed.
After taking early retirement from IBM, he became a School Bus driver and Food Service driver for Boulder Valley School District. He really enjoyed the families he served and the people he worked with. It was hard losing his wife in 2012.
He moved to Montana to live with his daughter and her family in 2020. He was a part of the Manhattan Senior Center and attended mass at Holy Rosary Catholic Church with his daughter’s family.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Ethel; his parents, Philias and Emeline; and his brother, Andre. He is survived by his three children: Robert M. Garand, Jonathan P. Garand (Wendy); and Katrina A. Zadikem (Travis). He also leaves behind four grandchildren and a great-grandson, one brother and two sisters.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 11 A.M. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
