Roger R. Garreau

On March 27, 2019, our family lost a much-cherished member. Roger R. Garreau passed away peacefully at home after battling a long illness. He loved life and held onto it with a vice grip until the very end. His last fight was for as much time with his family as humanly possible, and was extended for months by the daily devotions of his home hospice team, his wife, his children, and especially his grandchildren, who provided so many inspiring quality moments to more than compensate for whatever suffering he had to endure.

He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Loretta A. “Lorrie” Garreau; daughters, Dr. Elizabeth “Bethann” Garreau (Daniel Fazekas) and Sharon Marie Castaldo (Lou); son, Daniel Scott Garreau (Lynn); daughter-in-law, Carol Connor Garreau; brother, Richard Garreau; sisters-in-law, Ursula Rickenbacher Garreau and Donna Garreau Mudge; sister, Cynthia Korab; and grandchildren, Ethan James Garreau, Elizabeth Katherine Garreau (fiancé Corey Rivera), Marissa Rose Castaldo, and Gianna Aldina Castaldo. Mr. Garreau was preceded in death by his brothers, Greg and Bruce Garreau.

Family always came first, and last, to Roger. Friends were also very important, as was his devotion to duty for his country and support of volunteer activities, including the Moss Creek Marines, for which he was a co-founder. He was especially excited about their sponsorship of service dogs for Marines with PTSD and enjoyed following the progress of a Black Lab named "Roger" in his honor who is currently being trained.

Mr. Garreau was born on May 29, 1934 in Pawtucket, RI, the son of the late Roger and Bernadette Walsh Garreau. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, serving honorably during the Korean War from 1952 – 1955.

Following his military tenure he began his formal education at the University of Rhode Island where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in electrical engineering. He continued by earning his graduate degree in electrical engineering and management from New York University where he was also a predoctoral fellow. This ignited his passion as a teacher and life-long student of Civil War and World War II history, and as the family historian who compiled the Garreau-Agostini family tree with roots going back to 1634.

After graduating he began his career with AT&T Bell Laboratories and spent several years working on an antiballistic missile assignment at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. This assignment led to a life long hobby of scuba diving and acquiring a museum quality shell collection.

He ultimately retired after 37 years of service, finishing his career in 1996 by directing Mergers and Acquisitions. He was an avid golfer, and passionate fan of the New York Yankees and New York Giants. Roger and Loretta happily retired to Moss Creek in Hilton Head in 2003. He was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and was Commodore of the Moss Creek Yacht Club.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at Sauls Funeral Home, 90 Simmonsville Road, Bluffton, SC 29910. A private burial will take place at Beaufort National Cemetery with military honors.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to The Moss Creek Marines or Hospice Care of the Lowcountry. 

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