Orvan Dean Garris

Orvan Dean Garris, 85 Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m .Friday at the Mineral Ridge Church of Christ, 3911 Main Street, Mineral Ridge for Orvan Dean Garris, 85 of Mineral Ridge who died Saturday evening at Hospice House of Poland. Orvan was very active in his community and very proud of his town Mineral Ridge. A self-educated jack-of-all-trades that could fix anything, striving for perfection in every task. He had a keen interest in helping his many friends, family members and his community. Fostering relationships were important to him and he was always there to lend an ear or offer a helping hand. Later in life he started a popcorn business and invented a machine to reduce the amount of hulls in his popcorn. Local residents fondly recall him passing out popcorn during Halloween. He always believed his greatest achievement, far and above anything else, was his family which filled him with love and pride. They were the center of his universe and he has left an incredible legacy for them. Orvan was born September 2, 1933 in Canton, Ohio, a son of the late Milford and Helen (Troup) Garris and came to this area as a child. He graduated from Mineral Ridge High School in 1951 and following graduation he went on to serve in the United States Coast Guard from August 1952 until August 1956. Orvan was a foreman for the Ohio Bell Telephone Company/AT & T where he worked for 32 years, retiring December of 1989. Orvan was a member of Mineral Ridge Church of Christ, where he had served as a Deacon and Trustee and also sang in the choir as well as many community choirs. He was a lifetime member of the Weathersfield Fire Department, serving as a volunteer fireman for 30 years and served on the Weathersfield School Board for 20 years. Orvan coached Mineral Ridge youth baseball for several years and was the original voice of the Rams football for 30 years. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America, the Mineral Ridge Professional Mens Organization and the CWA where he served as secretary of the Local 4300. He leaves his wife, the former Mary Jean Tucke, whom he married December 27, 1954 and two sons, Darren (Cindy) Garris of Mineral Ridge, Dennis (Malinda) Garris of Vienna, Virginia; three daughters, Jennifer (Ed) Butler of Surprise, Arizona, Jaquelyn (Matthew) Girgash of Cincinnati, Jerrilyn (Skip) Wert of Mineral Ridge; 18 grandchildren, Rachel(Chris) Hitchings, Emily (Glenn) Roach, Madison Butler, Aaron Garris, Haley Garris, Andrew Garris, Eric (Alyssa) Girgash, Samantha Girgash, Joseph Girgash, Danielle Girgash, Ryan Girgash, Kathryn Girgash, Jordan (Kara) Wert, Jared Wert, Jeana Wert, Benjamin Garris, Luke Garris, Anna Garris; 4 great-grandchildren, Wyatt Roach, Lila Roach, Owen Reinhart and Rylan Hitchings. Orvan also leaves two sisters, Barbara Blickensderfer, Bonnie (Paul) Bitner; two brothers, Charles (Carol) Garris, and Norm (Cheryl) Garris all of Mineral Ridge and a brother-in-law, Dick Robinson of Warren. Besides his parents, Orvan was preceded in death by a sister, Joyce Robinson and a brother-in-law, Bob Blickensderfer. Quoting Robert Lewis Stevenson, "The man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled the niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earths beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had."Friends may call on Thursday from 4:30 p.m until 8:00 p.m. at Lane Family Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel and on Friday for one hour prior to the service at the church. The family requests material tributes take the form of contributions to Hospice of the Valley, 5190 Market Street, Boardman, OH 44512 or Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation (RLS Foundation), online at https://www.rls.org/donate-now or 3006 Bee Caves Road, Suite D206 Austin, Texas 78746