Archpriest John Garvey, St. Vladimir's alumnus and author of the SVS Press title Seeds of the Word, fell asleep in the Lord in Tacoma, WA, where he was attached to Holy Resurrection Church, Orthodox Church in America (OCA). He was seventy years old.
Associate Professor of Systematic Theology Dr. Peter Bouteneff remembers Fr. John as someone who "was able to explain the Orthodox Church to an audience that knew nothing about it, in ways that they could understand and relate to. He did this without branding it as exotic or esoteric but as a real and vital faith, as a life that made complete sense not only in far-off lands but right here in North America. Such voices are all too rare, and as needed as ever.”
Born in Decatur, IL on May 8, 1944, Fr. John was the eldest in a large and distinguished Roman Catholic family; his father and brother were journalists and publishers. He earned his B.A. from Notre Dame University in 1967, and following Commencement, married Maria Regina Carbonell on June 10.
Father John was received into the Orthodox Church at Archangel Michael Church, St. Louis, MO in 1984, while his wife was received at St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church, Springfield, IL, in 1990. Former OCA Chancellor Archpriest Alexander Garklavs, rector of Holy Trinity Church in Parma, OH, notes that “he was a pastor with modern sensibilities and traditional values. His journey to Orthodoxy was a process of deep introspection and discernment, but becoming an Orthodox priest was a privilege which he treasured with humble honor. "
After his conversion to Orthodoxy, Fr. John was ordained in 1992 and completed his Master of Divinity degree at St. Vladimir’s in 1993. He served first at St. Nicholas Church in Jamaica, Queens, NY, and then as Assistant Pastor at Holy Trinity Church in East Meadow, NY. During these years, he returned to his alma mater several times, notably for Orthodox Education Day in 2005, and to be a speaker at the 2006 Summer Institute. In recent years, he and Matushka Regina relocated to Washington State in retirement, where he continued to serve and preach at Holy Resurrection Church in Tacoma.
Father John was an accomplished and well-regarded writer and a long-time columnist for Commonweal. His publications included Seeds of the Word: Orthodox Thinking on Other Religions (SVS Press, April 5, 2006); Death and the Rest of Our Life (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, June 20, 2005); Orthodoxy for the Non-Orthodox: A Brief Introduction to Orthodox Christianity (Templegate Publishing, November 30, 2002); and Saints for Confused Times (Thomas More Press, 1976). He also served as a member of and consultant to several OCA committees.
In addition to Matushka Regina, Fr. John is survived by two children, Hugh and Maria, both married; four grandchildren, Andrew, Timothy, Violet and Desmond; and six brothers and sisters.
On Thursday, January 22, Father John will lie in state at Holy Resurrection Church, 8710 28th Ave. E., Tacoma, where a Panikhida will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, January 23, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m., followed by the Funeral Service for a Priest at 10:15 a.m. A meal will follow services. Interment will be at the Wilkeson Town Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. Memorial gifts may be made to Holy Resurrection Memorial Fund, PO Box 1332, Puyallup, WA, 98371.
May Father John’s memory be eternal!
