Martin F. Garmback, Jr

MARTIN F. GARMBACK, JR

“Marty” passed away peacefully on June 19, 2012 at the VA, Puget Sound Health Care Hospital in Seattle, WA. He was born June 6, 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio to Martin, SR and Dorothy Garmback. After graduating from high school in 1964 he joined the US Navy and served aboard the USS Galveston and the USS Procyon as an Interior Communications Electrician during the Vietnam conflict. In January of 1966 Marty married Janet and they have been together for 46 years.

Marty went to work for Ohio Bell after being discharged from the Navy in 1967. In 1978 he jumped at the opportunity to transfer to Pacific Northwest Bell in Bellingham, WA. During his employment at PNB he also served as president of the CWA Local 9101. He left PNB in 1982 and worked for other local telecommunications companies. In 1988 he opened Abbacom, his own telephone installation company which he ran until 1999. He retired in 2001.

Marty is survived by his wife, Janet, daughter Tracy Call (Tim), son Greg (Noelle) and grandchildren, Stephanie, Brittany and Jeffrey Call. He was a member of Albert J. Hamilton Post #7 and a past member of Bellingham BPOE #194. Memorial donations may be made in Marty’s memory to VA Puget Sound Fisher House, 1660 S. Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108. Fisher House provides a residence for the families of the veterans while they are a patient at the hospital. There is no cost to the family for service. This non-profit organization is run on donations only.

The family would like you to join us on Saturday, June 30, 2012 for a celebration of Marty’s life. It will be at the Bellingham Elks Lodge, 710 Samish Way from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Arrangements are under the care of Sig’s Alternative Funeral & Cremation Services, 360-656-5459.

“Each one of us reaches Heaven by climbing his own particular stairway”