Doris Garber

Doris C. Garber of Southbury passed away on March 9, 2018 at The Lutheran Home in Southbury, Connecticut from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. She was born on October 27, 1928 in Danbury, Connecticut. She was the daughter of Juanita Suydam Chichester and Clinton Chichester. She leaves behind her beloved husband Herbert Garber and precious children, Deborah B  Garber of Woodbury, CT and David A Garber of Fulton, NY. Doris mourned the loss of an infant daughter, Pamela, in 1952. She will also be missed by her loving grandson Daniel Ribet and his adored wife Nicole of Howell, New Jersey and their sons, her great grandsons, Samuel Thomas and Myles Lucas. Also missing her loving company will be her brother, Allan Chichester of Phoenix, AZ,  her nieces, Doree C. Creighton of Utah, Linda C Krug and husband Cliff Krug of Seward, Alaska, Suzanne McCormack and husband Kermit of  Cumberland Center, Maine, and nephews Michael Garber and wife Stephanie of Blauvelt, NY and Peter Garber and wife Maria of Delaware. She was predeceased by nephew Ronald Chichester and niece Paula Garber Miller.

Doris attended schools in Danbury, CT, graduating from Danbury High School in 1945 and from Danbury State Teachers College in 1949. It was there she met her loving husband. She also received a Masters degree in Speech and Hearing from Syracuse University.

She worked as a bank teller in Westerly, RI and Willimantic, CT between 1959 and 1968 and as a speech pathologist in the schools of Fulton, NY  from 1968 -1979. Her vast array of talents is evident from the fact that she worked as a lead tax preparer for H&R Block in Baltimore, MD from 1979-1998.

She and her husband, Herb, set sail on their well-equipped cruising sailboat from Lake Ontario heading for Florida in July of 1979. Once they reached Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, they stopped and lived in Catonsville, MD, near Baltimore for 18 years. They returned to Connecticut at Heritage Village in 1998, where Doris volunteered for many an activity, among which were assisting people with tax return preparation, stage managing for plays mounted by the Theater Guild, and various other volunteer activities. She could not say “no” when asked to help out. She was an avid solver of crossword puzzles in ink and a world traveler, visiting every continent except Antartica.

Doris fell victim to the dreadful Alzheimers disease that left her unable to communicate vocally, but she was still able to express love and affection by other means. Her funeral arrangements are by Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home of Southbury, and will be conducted by Rabbi Eric Polokoff at B’nai Israel of Southbury, 444 Main Street North, Southbury. Burial will be at Farband Cemetery in Morris, Connecticut.

Donations to the Alzheimers Association or the charity of personal choice will be appreciated. Munson Lovetere Funeral Home assisted with the arrangements.  

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