Marguerite Gaston Garrett

Marguerite Gaston Garrett, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2025. She was a vibrant, intelligent, elegant, creative, gracious, thoughtful, resourceful, funny, and often mischievous woman. She lived fully and is dearly missed.

Visitation: 1PM Saturday, April 12, 2025 at Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel.

Funeral Service: 2PM Saturday, April 12 2025 at Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel.

Burial: Waco Memorial Park

An extraordinary woman, Marguerite, or Muggy, as she was known to friends and family, was born May 5, 1926 in Buffalo, NY to Orissa Knight Gaston and John Zell Gaston. Her father was completing his medical residency in Buffalo, NY and later was the first registered OB-gyn in Houston. Marguerite grew up in Houston near the medical district and Rice University with her older sisters Orissa Knight (Patty), Anna Catharine (CC), and her younger brother John Zell Gaston IV (Buddy). She graduated from Rice University and met her husband Robert Irving Garrett (Bob) on a blind date on San Jacinto Day, April 21, 1946. The couple was married August 6, 1948 in Houston, Texas.

One cannot describe Muggy without Bob. Theirs was a love story of 74 years of friendship, mutual support, courageous devotion, faithfulness, fun and exploration, a truly joyful and considerate partnership. She took her role as a military wife seriously and supported Bob at every turn of his career. Marguerite was a brilliant mother. She had five children, Robert Irving Garrett Jr. (Jane Huff Garrett), Katherine, Marguerite Louise “Peggilu” Garrett Woodward (Douglas Woodward), Glenn Arthur and John David Garrett (Ruth Garrett). Muggy grieved the loss of Katherine and Glenn Arthur at birth. As parents Bob and Muggy were an extraordinary team demonstrating consistent, loving and creative care during all the varied challenges, griefs, adventures, and blessings life brought.

Since Bob was a medical doctor serving in the U.S. Navy, his tours of duty took them to live in many places before settling in Lufkin, TX in 1971. Together, they lived in Orange TX (1950-51), San Diego CA (1951-52), Great Lakes IL (1952-53), Portsmouth VA (1953-1957), Pensacola, FL (1957-1961), Guantanamo Bay Cuba (1962-1964), Long Beach CA (1964-1968), and Oceanside CA (1968-1971). In every one of those places, Marguerite dedicated herself to raising and supporting the growing interests of her three children. At all times she was unceasingly a curious reader with broad academic interests. She was the consummate wife, homemaker, mother, and civic leader–always ready to entertain and plan other social events. Her activities supported her family life in schools, churches, Scouts, and other community organizations wherever life took her. She was very active at Lufkin’s First Baptist Church serving on multiple committees and in various ministries, including choir and handbells. She served in the Medical Auxiliary of doctor’s wives, and in the leadership of the local Museum of East Texas, Ellen Trout Zoo, and Kiwanis Club. She served on the Executive Committee of Texas Baptists. Her full life was packed with joy: she entertained, sewed, gardened, painted, traveled, and read incessantly. She snow–skied and rollerbladed well into her 70s!

Marguerite was delighted to be loved and known as GranMuggy to her four granddaughters: Janelle Marguerite Garrett, Rebecca Estelle Garrett Finn (Richard Jason Finn), Elisabeth Garrett Zurita (Erick Washington Zurita), and Ruth Elizabeth Watkins; as well as her five great grandchildren: Sebastian Finn, Chiara Garrett, Caroline Finn, Juliette Finn, and Isabelle Finn, and two grandsons Stephen White, and Brett White, along with a great-grandson, Dylan White. She left a legacy of laughter, love and unwavering faith for all who knew her.

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Place of Service: Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel , 5201 Steinbeck Bend; Waco, TX 76708