Alice Joan Duke Garvey
“Today, you shall be with me in paradise” … Luke 23:43
Alice Joan Duke Garvey was born on the 25th of December, 1930 in Mountain View, GA. She was the second child of Ruth Hendricks and General Blanco Duke. Being nine years younger than her brother, E. Vance Duke, she was raised almost as an only child. The family moved to Lincoln Avenue in East Atlanta.
She often spoke of a lady named Aunt Sally that raised her while her mother worked until she went to school. She told us of how much she loved Aunt Sally and considered her a real mother, also.
She would often tell us of how she first learned of prayer and love and grace from this kind elderly woman who cared for her like she was her own. Grandpa and Vance built a house a few blocks away on Wilkinson Drive where Grandpa and Grandma Duke lived the rest of their lives. She graduated from SW Dekalb High school, (now the New Life Church Community Center) on Flat Shoals Rd. in Decatur.
She attended the University of Georgia—Atlanta Division (Now GSU) while working at the Atlanta Federal Reserve and Eastern Airlines. She walked down and accepted Christ at the 1950 Billy Graham Crusade at the old Ponce De Leon baseball park of the Atlanta Crackers. She began attending Inman Park Baptist Church in Atlanta.
It was here that she met her husband to be, William L. Garvey at a Sunday evening young adult social. Mr. Garvey was a Navy Veteran that had moved to Atlanta from Knoxville, TN to work as an aviation electrician with Delta Airlines. He has said that when he met her, he was instantly smitten and that she was “it,” he had found the love of his life. They married on October 24, 1953 and have been married 66 years.
The Garveys moved to Miami, Fla. with their jobs. Mr. Garvey wanted to fly for the airlines, and they pooled their money to buy a small airplane to build up his hours. After being rebuffed by Delta and Eastern Airlines, he found a job with Pan American Airways if he could relocate to New York. Mom was able to transfer with Eastern to Manhattan; NY as Dad began flying.
They first lived in Flushing, Queens, NY and then moved out to 52 Morris St. in Brentwood, Long Island, NY. Mom carried five children to birth. Bill, Mike, Joey, Alicia and Matt were all born on LI, in NY.
Their second home was Calvary Baptist Church, in Bay Shore, LI, NY. Always following Mr. Garvey’s vision for the family, she augmented their move to Monticello and Jasper County, in the fall of 1972. Mr. Garvey and Mrs. Garvey’s brother Vance bought a property where Mr. Garvey could realize his dream of building and operating a small general aviation airport. Almost 50 years later the Monticello Sky Ranch flying community is still active.
As Mr. Garvey was often gone before he retired, much of the family and airport ranch was taken care of by Mom who loved gardening and helping care for a menagerie of pets and stock animals, from sheep to horses as well as many dogs and cats. She raised all the children to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
“We have all at different times been keenly involved in church ministry as well. From singing, preaching and acting in church drama events, we all have a real belief and commitment to the gospel because of our mother. She was always the witness and example set before us by God that we will never ever forget,” said the children.
She inspired and helped them all attend and graduate from college and the university. With Mr. Garvey’s Associate of Welding, they have two Bachelors of Fine Arts, one Bachelor of Nursing, a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, all because she drilled into them that they must produce while we are here as unto the Lord in all our endeavors.
She was essential in helping Mr. Garvey transition into retirement and has seen all her children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren become successful in all they do because of her testimony.
“Truly the history of the Biblical Timothy’s mother has not been lost on any of us as we have also known the righteous example of a Godly mother. We, her family, because of her life, do not mourn, but rejoice that she has reunited with all her loved ones, and finally with the center of her life, her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
She entered her rest, in paradise, January 7, 2020, at 89 years of age, just the beginning.
Alice Garvey is survived by her husband, William L. Garvey, cousin Bill Cartwright, two nieces; Bonnie Duke Elrod and Billie Ann Duke Gaddy; five children, Bill, Mike, and Joey Garvey; Alicia Garvey Darden and Matt Garvey; two in-laws, Pam Johnson Garvey and Mike Darden; 12 grandchildren; Natalie Garvey Thurmon, Will, and Michal Garvey, Lyndsey, Megan and A.J. Darden. Connor, Blake, Silas, Jacob, Maximus, and Griffin Garvey, and three great-grandchildren, Logan Garvey, Lake Thurmon, and Liam Thurmon.