John Newell Garfield dies at 93
John Newell Garfield.
–John Newell Garfield, 93, formerly of Paso Robles, died on Nov. 12, 2016, in Tiverton, R.I., after a brief illness. He was the great-grandson of James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States, and grandson of James R. Garfield, Secretary of the Interior under President Theodore Roosevelt.
Born October 5, 1923, in Cleveland, Ohio, to John Newell Garfield and Janet Dodge Garfield, he spent his childhood in Mentor, Ohio. Many of those childhood years were spent living in Lawnfield, the former home of President Garfield that is now a National Park. He was predeceased by his two sisters and two brothers: Janet Brown, Frances Tillinghast, James R. Garfield II and Douglas D. Garfield.
He attended South Kent School in Kent, C.T., then joined the US Army in 1943. He served with the 182nd Infantry Americal Division in the Philippines, including the battle at Bougainville, and was among the first troops to enter Tokyo after the surrender of Japan in 1945. He was very proud of his service to his country and flew the American flag wherever he lived.
After the war, he worked in industrial sales to support his growing family. The family lived in Youngstown, Ohio; Lake Bluff, I.L.; Sewickley, PA; and Indianapolis, I.N., before finally settling in Lake Forest, I.L. After moving into Chicago, he worked until his retirement as a commercial sales agent for The Arthur Rubloff Company. He moved to Paso Robles, Calif., in 1988 where he lived until he moved to Massachusetts to be closer to his family.
His father died when he was very young, and he and his siblings were raised by his mother with the support of relatives and family friends. As a result, he grew up understanding two important truths: Family comes first and “family” goes beyond bloodlines to include trusted and treasured friends. He lived those truths every day of his life. Imbued with a deep sense of compassion and empathy, he was a hospice volunteer in Paso Robles, and lovingly cared for friends and family members in their final days. His intense loyalty also extended to his favorite Chicago sports teams, the Black Hawks, Bears and Cubs, and he died knowing that just a week earlier, his beloved Cubs won their first World Series since 1908.
He is survived by a large and loving extended family who knew him variously as Dad, Gramp, Garf, and Uncle Johnny. He leaves four children: John N. Garfield Jr. and his wife Natalie of Dartmouth, Mass.; Thomas C. Garfield and his wife Deborah of Harvard, Mass.; Christine H. Garfield of Silver City, N.M.; and Horace F. Garfield and his wife Marla of Louisville, K.Y. He also leaves six grandchildren, a great- grandson, a beloved sister-in-law, Olivia Garfield, and a boisterous, affectionate horde of nieces and nephews. He was formerly married to the late Christine Henriques Dodge and the late Lynn Hansen Garfield.
Interment will take place in Mentor, Ohio in January. A celebration of his life is scheduled for the summer at Cuttyhunk Island, Mass.
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