Victoria "Tya" Garrity, 88
Victoria "Tya" Garrity, 88, passed away on Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at Riverside Senior Living in Whitefish.
Tya was born Nov. 26, 1915, in Barnesville, Minn., to Alphonse and Eva Cyr, one of 10 children. She was first married to James Lamm with whom she had two children, James and George. Mr. Lamm was killed in a helicopter crash in Italy in 1946.
She married John Garrity on July 12, 1952, who later adopted both boys. Tya and John were married for 52 years and each was totally devoted to the other. Tya and John moved to Whitefish in 1957 where they raised their family and became involved in their community and church.
Tya was an active member of the parish and Ladies Guild of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church of Whitefish. She also enjoyed attending local school events in which her children were involved, and spent many days on the local golf courses cheering on her son and his classmates in tournaments.
She was an avid member of the Duplicate Bridge Clubs of Whitefish and Kalispell. She eventually gained certification as director and spent many days and nights with her "bridge family," and taught the art of bridge to many locals. She was only a few points shy of "Master" of Duplicate Bridge.
In younger days, she owned and operated the "Sugarbeet Factory" Restaurant in Moorehead, Minn., where she met her present husband, John, and the restaurant at the Fargo-Moorehead airport where she eventually became one of the first women of her generation to become a pilot. She had the opportunity to "serve" first lady Eleanor Roosevelt at her airport restaurant.
She traveled worldwide and was fortunate at one time to have had an audience with the Pope. She loved to bake and her apple pie could not be beat!
Tya lived her life to the fullest and would not have changed a thing!
She was preceded in death by her first husband, James Lamm; as well as both parents, sisters and brothers.
She is survived by her husband, John, of Whitefish; son, James Lamm Garrity and wife Patricia, of Fresno, Calif.; one granddaughter, Victoria Garrity, of Fresno; and son, George and wife Linda, of Whitefish. She is also survived by one sister, Lorraine Lilley, and lifelong friend Gladie Tweeton, both of Barnesville. She leaves behind many friends who will miss her laughter and her compassionate heart.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. today, Nov. 2, at the Austin Funeral Home in Whitefish.
A Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Whitefish. Burial will follow at Whitefish Cemetery in Whitefish.