Obituary of Barbara Bennett Garrett

Canton— Barbara Bennett Garrett, 88, of Pine Street, Canton, died Saturday, January 11, 2020, at the Canton-Potsdam Hospital. Barbara was born October 19, 1931, in Chapel Hill, N.C., but her family returned to the Canton area every year to escape the hot southern summers. Eventually the Garrett family made Crary Mills their permanent residence. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1952 and then went on to obtain a master's degree in library science from Syracuse University. After graduation, Barbara worked in several public libraries, but the bulk of her career was at school libraries in Russell and Canton. She retired from the Banford Elementary School in Canton, where she spent many happy years reading, telling stories and ordering library materials for young students. After retirement, she stayed at the family home in Crary Mills before moving to downtown Canton. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Canton, the Canton Area Zonta Club, and the New York State Retired Teachers’ Association. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Mitchell and Dora (Matthews) Garrett, and her brother, Dr. Allen Garrett. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Louise (Jones) Garrett, and numerous nephews and nieces. Calling hours will be 3-5 p.m. Friday, January 17, at Lawrence Funeral Home in Canton. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, January 18, at the funeral home with the Reverend Michael Catanzaro officiating. Burial will be in Beech Plains Cemetery in the spring. Memorial contributions may be made to the Canton Free Library or to First Presbyterian Church of Canton.