116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Vernon Leroy Garman Jr.
VERNON LEROY GARMAN JR.
Las Vegas
Vernon Leroy Garman Jr., died Aug. 14, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nev., after a long illness.
He was born June 28, 1935, to Vernon Sr. and Beulah Garman in Davenport, Iowa, where he was raised with his brothers and sisters. He attended Davenport high school in 1953, where he was a member of the ROTC program and after graduation served in
the U.S. Army, stationed for a time in Germany.
Vern was introduced to Pauline Boswell on a double date in September of 1956 and he proposed two months later, on Halloween night. They were married Jan. 12, 1957.
He attended Iowa State University on the GI bill, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering. He then began a decades-long career working on everything from submarines to airplanes to space shuttles in Virginia, Colorado, New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin. He spent most of his career with Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and received the prestigious Engineer of the Year Award at the Gen Av Mid-Winter Conference in 1991.
Vern and Pauline raised their two sons, Michael and James in Iowa, where Vern was active in the church, enjoyed bowling and working on cars. He got his small-aircraft pilot's license and was a HAM radio operator, performing charity and emergency services duties throughout the community.
When Vern retired in 1995, he and Pauline moved to Florida where they enjoyed line dancing, participated in bowling leagues and spending time with friends and family.
In 2001, they moved to Las Vegas, where Vern began volunteering with the USO facility at McCarran International Airport and becoming an enthusiastic supporter of Pauline's enjoyment of performing in various karaoke nights around the city. He also helped found vegas4visitors.com, a travel-planning website that became one of the most well-respected resources for Las Vegas information on the internet.
Throughout his life, Vern was known as a kind and patient man who loved his family and was proud of the life he built for them.
Vern is preceded in death by his parents, Vernon Sr. and Beulah; and his wife of nearly 62 years, Pauline.
He is survived by his sons; brothers, Bob and Ken; sisters, Carol and Judy; and numerous cousins, nephews, nieces and friends.
Daily Newsletters