Vernon A. “Shorty” Garwood of Brownsburg, Indiana passed away on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2024. Vernon was the first of five siblings born to Helen (Abington) and Rodney Garwood on the family farm near Carroll, Nebraska on Oct. 29, 1924.
Vernon graduated from Red Cloud High School in Red Cloud, Nebraska in 1941.
Upon his 18th birthday, he registered for the military draft and was called for service in May 1943, electing to serve in the Navy. Following Fire Control School his time in service was spent aboard the USS Le Hardy, a destroyer escort, in the South Pacific. He was discharged in December 1946. He enrolled at the University of Nebraska and was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in 1950, a Master of Science degree in 1952, and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1954. Following graduate study, he researched animal breeding at the Nebraska Research Station in North Platte, Nebraska until 1956 when he accepted a research and teaching position in the Animal Science Department of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. During his tenure at Purdue, he filled a two-year (1962-64) stent to aid in the establishment of a graduate program at the Universidade Federal in Vicosa, Minas Gerais Brazil. A second leave (1968) was for a sabbatical study in the Animal Husbandry Department of the University of Norway at As, Norway.
In 1970 he resigned his position with Purdue and assumed the duties of Coordinator for the USDA’s Regional Poultry Breeding Laboratory located at Purdue. In 1983, he was transferred as Director to the Poultry Research Laboratory at Georgetown from which he retired in 1990.
He married Eloine Lawton of Lincoln, Nebraska in 1953. From this marriage, they raised six children. While raising his kids and beyond, he served as Scoutmaster for Troop 38 in the Klondike school area. The marriage was dissolved in 1975, and in 1979 he married Alma Margaret Linton. He was greatly loved and admired by his children, 13 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Retirement allowed him more time in some of his favorite activities, including fishing and watercolor painting, but especially visiting with family and friends.
Vernon was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Alma Garwood, his former wife Eloine Garwood, and his three sisters and their husbands; Dixie Drolet (Wes), Joy Jacobsen (Thorolf), and Glenys Marshall (Leland). He is survived by his brother Rodney V. Garwood Jr. (Deborah); his six children; son, Douglas Garwood (Cindy) of Lafayette, Indiana; daughter, Laurie Garwood (Stuart Kutz) of Niwot, Colorado; son, Bradley Garwood (Stephanie) of Brownsburg, Indiana; daughter, Jennifer Whikehart (Douglas) of Croton-on-Hudson, New York; son, Blaine Garwood of Grand Junction, Colorado; and daughter, Amy Garwood (Erik Falck-Pedersen) of Dobbs Ferry, New York; grandchildren Dawn Smith, Chloe Garwood, Taylor Garwood, Salem Evans, Nathan Evans (Hannah), Corey Garwood (Erin), Katie Laney (Robert), Caleb Garwood (Julie), Samantha Garwood (Jacob Nickles), Jacob Garwood (Johanna Migi Lim), Grete Falck-Pedersen (Daniel Grande), Silje Falck-Pedersen, Lieve Falck-Pedersen (Yusuf Kapadia); great-grandchildren Andrew, Abigail, Robby, Austin, Theodore, and a host of nieces and nephews including grand and great-grand.
As per Vernon’s request, there will be no services at this time.