James Garrison

James “Jim” Garrison passed away unexpectedly at home on September 30, 2024. He was 78 years young. We extend our condolences to those who did not know Jim well, because you’ve missed knowing a truly wonderful guy.

Jim grew up in North Carolina until his early teens, when his family moved to Florida, settling in the Bradenton area. He married Diana Bray in 1968, and the couple had a daughter, Heather, in 1971. Jim and Diana divorced in 1980, but remained friends, and their families remained close. Jim was known in Manatee County as he served on the Manatee County Planning Commission and was Chairman for several years while the County was adopting their Comprehensive Plan. He was very proud to have worked with the planning commission on such an impactful project.

In the mid-1980s, Jim married Audrey Algar Beaubien, and became stepdad to Audrey’s two sons, Chris and Jean-Paul or “JP”. The new family blended together almost impossibly well and had numerous adventures, navigating daily life and making occasional family trips to Disney World, the Florida Keys, North Carolina, and occasionally Las Vegas. Audrey worked with Jim in the family business which they ran together for several decades. Like the Kilauea volcano, this relationship went smoothly most of the time, with only mild grumbling, and an occasional spectacular eruption. The same goes for their family life, which was busy given the three teenagers. Of note during these years was the massive grocery bill for the household, since they were feeding a family of 5, including those three growing teenagers, and frequently hosting a fourth teenager, Heather’s boyfriend and eventual husband, Yancey Steingraber. Many chickens were sacrificed in the name of Chicken Divan, and enough potatoes were peeled to feed the crew of the USS Nimitz. The Knorr-Swiss company’s stock prices rose dramatically as Audrey frequently depended on their sauce mixes for casseroles and accompaniments.

In 2014, Jim and Audrey closed the business and moved to Gainesville. Jim enjoyed semi-retirement, which involved working part time as the Maintenance Director at the Alachua County Humane Society (now the Humane Society of North Central Florida), and helping Audrey, who became Executive Director of Operation Catnip. Jim was always totally soft-hearted when it came to animals. Staff at Catnip knew Jim well, since he logged many miles on his truck running errands and taking cats where they needed to go. He occasionally was called on to deliver supplies that were forgotten during frequent deployments Catnip made to help other Florida communities that are less fortunate. Jim could always be counted on to help with a smile, regardless of the distance.

Jim was a lifelong sports fan and was most devoted to the Florida Gators ever since he attended his first game in the early 1960s, Jim never missed a Gator football game, sometimes attending live, and other times watching on tv or listening on the radio. He could regale you with the tale of the Florida Flop, the jump pass, or the “Doering’s got a touchdown” touchdown.

He was a big dude, standing 6’2” and muscular. But underneath, he was exceptionally kind and sensitive, with a great sense of humor. As big as his heart was for people and animals, he possessed zero patience with technology and inanimate objects. He was the Ezra Pound of swear words when the TV remote wouldn’t work or when his cell phone dropped a call.

 Please send  an email to JCG013146@gmail.com be included in a slide show. (Or you can send it to Audrey in a text.) and for information on a service. Your story may include your name, or not. Whatever you prefer. If you are attending the celebration of Life and would prefer to tell the story, that is fine as well. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers can be made in Jim’s name to Operation Catnip, 912 NE 2nd Street, Gainesville, FL 32601 or online at www.operationcatnip.org.