Lawrence T Garvin

Lawrence Thaddeus Garvin entered peacefully into rest at Hospice House on January 15, 2020. Larry was born in 1937 in Toledo, Ohio to Dorothy and Edward Garvin, the second of two children. During World War II, while his father was serving with the Fifth Marine Division, his mother's four brothers Ray, Bernie, Mick and John, lived with the family, providing stability and comforting family influence. Larry went to John Carrol University in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Cardinal Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago. He completed an internship at Sacred Heart Hospital in 1961, where he met his future wife Patricia, who was attending Sacred Heart School of Nursing. Larry completed two years of service in the U.S. Navy, the first of which was on the USS Burton Island, an icebreaker in the Antarctic and the second at a recruiting station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the University of Wisconsin Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, he chose to follow his father's profession and completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1969. Larry married Patricia Lea Travis in 1964 at the original Sacred Heart Church on Chandler. They had five children Ann, Margaret, Larry, Michael and Eileen. Although it was understood by family and colleagues that Larry was not a night person, he recently told his wife Patricia that in all of his years as a physician, he never got tired of hearing a baby's first cry.

Larry retired from his medical practice in 1992. He had learned to race sail boats at age nine on the Maumee River in Ohio, which led to a lifelong love of sailing. He passed along his passion for boating to his children. In retirement, Larry also enjoyed golf, woodworking and volunteering his time at Sacred Heart Parish, Meals on Wheels and Inland Empire Residential Resources. He enjoyed playing bridge with his friends and was a voracious reader of history. He made many beautiful pieces of furniture for his children, other family members, friends and for his parish church. In the early 1990s, Larry and Patricia bought and renovated a house in the Gonzaga University neighborhood for their daughter Margaret, who has autism. Larry always worked hard to help Margaret become as independent as possible. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patricia; daughter Ann Garvin Modarelli (Robert), grandchildren Robert, Julia and Anthony; daughter, Margaret Garvin, son Lawrence W. Garvin, son Michael R. Garvin, and daughter Eileen Garvin (Brendan Ramey). His brother, Edward Garvin lives in Ohio as do many nieces and nephews. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on February 15th. at 10 a. m. at Sacred Heart Church, East 219 Rockwood Blvd.

In lieu of flowers please consider donations to: Hospice House, 121 S. Arthur, P.O. Box 2215, Spokane, WA 99210-2215, or Women's Hearth, 920 W. 2nd Ave, Spokane, WA 99201.

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