Donald Alan Garrity, 81, died on November 16th.
Don was born in Helena on August 18, 1935, the second child of Margaret and Harold Gar-rity. He attended local Catholic schools and graduated from Carroll College in 1957, with a degree in History and English.
In August 1957, he married Ellen Henry and moved with her to South Bend, Ind., where he was a student at the University of Notre Dame School of Law. In June 1960, he and his family returned to Helena where he worked for Attorney General, Forrest Anderson. In 1969 he went into private practice and represented the Montana Board of Oil and Gas, among other clients, until he retired in 2008. He also represented many clients pro-bono, some of whom became great friends. Don was well known in the legal community and ac-tive in the Cathedral Parish. He served on the Second Story Cinema (the precursor to the Myrna Loy) Board of Directors and was an active member of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association.
Don will long be remembered for his poetic and artistic St. Patrick’s Day cards and the St. Patrick’s Day parties that he and Ellen hosted, which eventually got to big to be held in their home and moved to the East Helena Fire Hall.
A fourth generation Montanan, Don loved his home state. For many years, he and a group of friends traveled the far regions of the Treasure State by car, stayed in small inns, and studied Montana’s history. Some of their travels were memorialized in stories published in Montana, the Magazine of Western History.
His wife, Ellen, and eldest daughter Maureen preceded him in death. He is survived by Maureen’s husband Kurt Anderson of Williston, ND; children Mike and wife Shannon McDonald of Helena; Sheila of Baltimore; Devin and wife Kim of Helena; John of Seattle; and Ann Tracey and husband Paul of Seattle. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Devin and Kate Anderson, Cole Garrity, Jack and Lucy McDonald-Garrity, and Fiona Tracey. He is also survived by his sisters Peggy Walsh and Judy Garrity, brothers and sis-ters-in-law, and a host of friends.
Don’s family would like to give special thanks to Marie Fowler, Dr. Bailey, Porter and Julie Sanford, and the wonderful people at Aspen Gardens for their years of compassionate care.
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Tom Paulus says
I moved to Helena in the summer of 1951 from Salt Lake to finish my senior year in high school, and Don lived just a few houses away on Missoula Ave. He was really the first friend i had in town, and was very grateful for that. We “hopped a freight” one day to Great Falls, not a good experience, and took the bus back home. I always made an effort to look up Don on trips back to Helena many years later, and sorry to see his passing. God rest his soul, for sure!! Tom Paulus
Tom Keegan says
Dear Mike, Sheila, Devin, Ann and John, Your Dad was the smartest person I ever met and a great partner/ mentor. So many good memories before his illness, especially St. Patrick’s and New Year’s Eve celebrations. His humor and poems although sometimes scatalogical were legendary. We have missed him for quite some time. May his soul Rest In Peace. Tom and Barbara Keegan
jenny says
Don , you were truley a wonderful person . it was a Honor to have known you , houes 16 will never be the same . you have left a wonderful memory in all of our hearts . i will miss your hugs , hand shakes and your whistling . we all loved you and may you fly high my friend . To the family , thank you for trusting in us to care for don , we are all so blessed to have had the chance to embrace his presents . god bless you
jenny says
Dear dons family , i am truly grateful for the time i got to share with don , he was a truly wonderful person and I will miss his hugs his hand shakes and his whistling , you have left us all with so many wonderful memories that none of us will forget, may you rest in peace and fly high my friend.
doug Stipcich says
To the Garrity family. I was saddened to hear of your father’s passing. There will only be one Don Garrity. His humor, wit and knowledge was unsurpassed. May you find comfort in knowing that he is now with his beloved wife and your mother Ellen. May he rest in Peace. Doug Stipcich
Jim Stipcich says
To All of the Garrity family….Don was one of the greatest men I have had the pleasure of knowing.. His mannerism and Irish touch has brightened my days often. He will be very missed.
Jim Stipcich
Anonymous says
Rose Tribute was purchased for the family of Donald Garrity.