Garrett Christopher Blount

Garrett Christopher Blount passed away on January 6, 2022, after a brief battle with cancer. Nearly 63 years earlier he was born at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to Lt. General John Bruce Blount, a career U.S. Army officer as well as Korea and Vietnam combat veteran, and his wife Joan, a consummate Army wife and homemaker. The youngest of four children, Garrett and his siblings were raised across the country and the world, as the family moved between Army bases and assignments, never staying put for long. Particularly memorable were the years spent abroad in Panama and in the German towns of Stuttgart and Würzburg. However, the most fateful stint for young Gary was his time living on Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, where he spent his senior year at Spring Valley High School in the same English class as Martha House Ivey, who would one day become his wife. After graduating with a B.A. in Journalism in 1982, he continued his long-lasting relationship with Sears Roebuck and continued working in the electronics department before returning to USC to earn his MBA in Marketing from the School of Business in 1988. Garrett and Martha were married September 14, 1985 at Trenholm Road Methodist Church in Columbia, a city that remained “home” no matter where their next adventure took them. They made their first move as a couple to Atlanta, where he was selected for the Sears Management Training Program and continued his career trajectory. The next decade brought three moves and three children: Christopher in Houma, Louisiana; Frances in Winter Park, Florida; and Caroline in Brandon, Florida. In 1996, the Blount’s finally settled in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois, where he transitioned from a retail executive to a director of warehousing and logistics. Outside of work, Garrett could often be found hanging out in the garage or the back porch taking care of his pets and plants, in the crowd supporting his children at their various matches, meets, and concerts, or at the beach where he loved to vacation. After more than two decades in Illinois, Garrett and Martha moved back south to Fort Mill, South Carolina to be closer to family and to finally leave the snow-blower behind. A loving son, brother, husband, father, uncle, Pappy G to his grandbabies, and friend to many, Garrett always stayed true to himself. His passion for life was evident through his relationships and his hobbies. For anyone lucky enough to be near his kitchen, he loved to cook: he could make a full breakfast in the morning, bake fresh bread in the afternoon, grill a steak to perfection for dinner, and call it a regular Saturday. He loved to golf: he kept a standing tee time, would assemble clubs in his basement workshop, religiously watched tournaments whether from the couch or the course, and especially treasured spending the weekend at Augusta National for the Masters. He loved music: he played guitar and piano, and always enjoyed his favorite progressive rock bands whether live in concert or blasted on his stereo set-up. And most of all, he loved his family: he provided them with the most beautiful life and the most precious memories, and will be forever missed.

Surviving are his wife, Martha Ivey Blount; his son and daughter-in-law, Christopher Blount (Kaylea) of Naperville, Illinois, as well as their children Colette Ann and Boden Christopher; his daughter and son-in-law, Frances Demont (James) of Miami Beach, Florida; his daughter, Caroline Blount of Carrboro, North Carolina; his beloved Chanel, the family cat; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his mother, Joan Blount of Columbia, South Carolina; his sisters, Gail Blount of Pompano Beach, Florida, and Carol Blount of West Columbia, South Carolina; and his brother, John Bruce Blount II of Washington, D.C. He was preceded in death by his father, Lt. General John Bruce Blount.

The family is incredibly grateful to the doctors, nurses, and care team of Piedmont Medical Center, Encompass Health, and Atrium Health. A private Celebration of Life in honor of Garrett was held in Columbia, South Carolina, with funeral services to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Carolinas Melanoma & Immunotherapy Fund at Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute.

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