of Searcy, AR

April 7, 1921 - December 1, 2015

Doris Verneil Healy Garner, age 94, passed away December 1, 2015 at her home in Searcy, Arkansas. She was born April 7, 1921 in Ft. Collins, Colorado to Lawrence and Mary Ann ''Anna'' Healy. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Thednel R. Garner (T. R.); her brother, Donald Healy; her brother and sister-in-law, Therman and Mereda Healy; her sister and brother-in-law, Thelda and Herbert Lawrence.
Doris is survived by her sister-in-law Marian Healy; children, Alan (Sharon) Garner; Barbara (Brad) Williams; and Mary Nell (John) Francis; four grandchildren, Rebecca Garner Loman, Jeremy Garner, Marisa Garner Nicklaus, and Sarah Francis Quinn; nine great grandchildren, and one great greatgrandchild.
Doris graduated from Ft. Collins High School in 1939. She then enrolled in Harding College. Both of her parents were college graduates and had a great respect for a liberal arts education, however the great depression had just ended. As a result, her father told her she (and her brothers and sister) should select a major that offered employment. She wanted to major in math, but her adviser told her that she should select either education or home economics because no one would hire a woman for a position requiring math. As a result she majored in home economics. Yet her employment was in accounting. While at Harding, she was president of the Ju Go Ju social club, secretary of the senior class, and a member of Harding Chorus and the Glee Club. She won numerous awards in archery, having made her own bow. T. R. was in her class and they both graduated from Harding in 1943 during World War II.
After college, Doris went to Detroit and worked for Ford Motor Co., in the Lincoln Zephyr plant assembling the engines of B25s until December 1943. She then moved to L.A. with her brother, Donald Healy, where she worked in the business office of what is today Pepperdine University, while T. R. was in the South Pacific serving in the Navy.
When the war ended Doris and T. R. joined each other in Nashville and her brother, Donald, married them in September 17, 1945 in Percy Warner Park. They moved to Atlanta where Doris was the assistant to the supervisor of the cash/tube room of Davidson Paxton department store while T. R. was enrolled in architecture at Georgia Tech.
They then moved back to Searcy, Arkansas and T. R. became a partner in Wood-Freeman Lumber Company. In 1955, T. R. and Doris and Frank and Anita McKenney, formed Garner-McKenney Supply Co.
Doris was a volunteer with Red Cross and member of the Searcy Business Women's Group. She spent over 20 years as a Girl Scout leader and was the coordinator for the Girl Scout troops in Searcy. She taught Sunday School and Ladies Bible Class at Westside Church of Christ. Over the years, Doris and T. R. were members of several community Bible study and fellowship groups. They attended annual Restoration Forums, over a 25 year period, promoting unity between Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.
In order to accommodate the business growth of Garner McKenney Supply Co., T. R. and Frank split the business into two parts with T. R. and Doris taking the retail hardware business and Frank and Anita taking the HVAC and electrical business. T. R. and Doris formed Garner's Ace Hardware, while Frank and Anita formed McKenney Supply.
T. R. and Doris sold the hardware business in December 1989. They traveled, spent time with family, stayed active enjoying their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great greatgrandchild, as well as being active in church and Bible studies.
Doris never lost her love for math, tutoring her children in math including algebra and calculus. She was the one who taught her children and grandchildren how to save, to set up budgets and balance their checkbooks. She instilled in her children and grandchildren a love of nature, travel, family, and the willingness to recognize the majesty of God in the small and large, and to live with the mysteries of God. She consistently taught her children to be their own person, to know their own values to not do something just because everyone else is doing it and don't believe something just because someone else (even an authority) said it.
It will never be known the lives she touched and changed as a Scout Leader and through her teaching/participating in Bible studies, and one-on-one conversations. Her example and influence will live on through future generations. Doris Healy Garner was a godly woman of great wisdom.

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