Arthur Garrett Obituary

Arthur Randolph Garrett, Jr.

October 3, 1939 -

January 10, 2026

KINGSPORT - Arthur Randolph Garrett, Jr., age 86, of Kingsport, passed away on Saturday, January 10, 2026, following a period of declining health. He was born on October 3, 1939, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Arthur Randolph Garrett, Sr. and Ruth-del Garrett (née Tarpley).

Arthur graduated from Alabama College in Montevallo, Alabama, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Psychology. He met his future wife, Nancy Jane Nelms, at the University of Georgia, where they both earned master's degrees in Botany.

Nancy and Arthur were married in Kingsport on July 10, 1965. The couple lived in Oxford, Georgia, and Atlanta for three years while Arthur earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Biology, specializing in ecology, from Emory University. He served two years in the U.S. Public Health Service, stationed in Montgomery, Alabama. The couple then moved to Mobile, where Arthur joined the faculty of the University of South Alabama as a professor of biology. They resided in Mobile from 1968 to 1981. During this time, Arthur completed medical school as a member of the inaugural class of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, graduating in 1977. While living in Mobile, their children, Melissa and Hugh, were born.

After practicing pediatrics in Mobile and then in Albemarle, North Carolina, the family moved to Kingsport in 1983. Arthur practiced pediatrics and genetics until his mid-seventies and was deeply devoted to his patients and the practice of medicine.

Arthur was active in his church and community. A talented trombonist, he played for many years with the Kingsport Community Band. He was an avid tennis player and hiker and especially enjoyed gardening and birdwatching. Arthur also wrote a column for the Kingsport Times-News. As a consummate intellectual, he was endlessly curious about the world around him. He was an enthusiastic Crimson Tide football fan.

Above all, Arthur was a devoted father and grandfather. His grandchildren remember him as loving, supportive, and always present. He cherished time with them and delighted in their visits and shared adventures. To them, he was a role model in every sense.

Arthur is survived by his brother, William Robert Garrett and wife, Deanna, of Lynn Haven, Fl., daughter, Melissa Garrett of Asheville, N.C., and son, Hugh Edward Garrett and wife, Katey of Simpsonville, S.C. Also surviving are grandchildren Jack, Ava, Emma, Nora Frances, and Hugh Nelms.

Visitation will be held at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, Kingsport, from 5:00-7:00pm on Wednesday, January 14. The funeral services will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church at 1:00pm on Thursday, January 15, with The Rev, Jonathan "Johnny" Tuttle officiating. Graveside service will follow at Oak Hill Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries, Inc., P.O. Box1295, Dauphin Island, AL 36528.

Visit www.hamlettdobson.com to leave online condolences.