Will Garrison was born in Tacoma in 1937 and grew up in Ruston. He was the son of Lee C. and Etta Garrison, and the brother of Lee C. Garrison, Jr.

He attended Ruston Grade School and Stadium High School, then followed his elder brother to Harvard as a Harvard National Scholar. At Harvard he captained the varsity rifle team, competing against both Army and Navy academy teams. He graduated when the nation was especially concerned with Soviet space exploits and improvement of American mathematics and science education.

Will studied at the University of Washington on a National Science Foundation Summer Institute Scholarship, taught for four years at Enumclaw High School, and won an NSF Academic Year Fellowship at Cornell. He then returned to teaching at Highline High School.

Will married Kay Ellen Sinclair in 1965, becoming the son-in-law of William and Catharine Sinclair, a relationship that he always greatly appreciated. Gwen was born in 1972 and Thomas was born in 1977.

After his high school teaching, he earned an M.Ed. at Central Washington College, and a Ph.D. at the University of Washington. He then worked as a researcher at Boeing, where he received its "Pride, Progress, and Productivity" award and achieved an international certificate in data processing.

Will and his family moved to Port Angeles in 1982 when he took an Assistant Professor position to develop the Data Processing program at Peninsula College. In 2002 he retired from his full Professor position to become Professor Emeritus, remembered by his students as "Dr. G."

Will was active in professional and community service organizations, including serving as chairman of the Computer Measurement Group – NW, as chairman of the Washington State Literacy Council, and as a Fire District Commissioner. As soon as he retired he seized upon opportunities to take on leadership roles in local organizations, especially in the First Presbyterian Church of Port Angeles, where he and Kay had been members since 1983.

Will's family wishes to thank the staff at Discovery Memory Care for their care and kindness.

His interest was always to learn whatever he could, wherever he was – and to teach that learning to anyone who believed they could benefit from it.

Drennan & Ford Funeral Home in Port Angeles is entrusted with his arrangements. please sign the online guestbook for his family at www.drennanford.com .