Henry Bascom Garrett, Jr., lifelong Birmingham resident, devoted husband, skilled engineer, avid bird watcher and gifted vocalist, passed away on December 28, 2020. He was 95. Left to mourn his passing is Ann Garrett, his wife of 71 years. Preceding him in death are his brother, William Walton Garrett, and sister, Mary Louise Sprouse.

Born April 11, 1925, to Bascom and Josephine Garrett, he attended Phillips High School and was an Eagle Scout. He enrolled in Auburn University in 1943 before being drafted into the service that same year. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war he attended Birmingham Southern College where he sang in the college choir. He transferred to Auburn where he joined Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Most notably, it was at Auburn that he met his bride, Aurora Ann Sharp. Henry and Ann married in the Auburn Methodist Parsonage in December, 1949. The couple moved to Birmingham following Henry’s graduation.

After a stint in the family poultry business, Henry went on to work at Continental Gin and then Chicago Bridge & Iron Company. He later joined Rust Engineering as a Design and Project Engineer, overseeing the installation of manufacturing facilities across the United States and the UK. He later worked as Principal Engineer at Southern Company Services. After retirement, he spent his days working puzzles, traveling, and watching the birds at his feeders.

An active member of Huffman United Methodist Church, Henry sang in the church choir for over 50 years and was a member of the Faith Sunday School class. He put his engineering background to good use by building homes on Sand Mountain with the church’s Heart and Hand Homes project. Henry was a Life Member of the Auburn Alumni Association, served as president of both the Kiwanis Club and Civitan’s Club, and was on the Zoning Board of the City of Birmingham.

During his career, he served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in 1976, and President of the American Society of Professional Engineers (ASPE) in 1981. He is survived by three children, Henry Michael Garrett (Cathy), Elizabeth Garrett Butterworth (Craig), Robert Charles Garrett (Shirley); four grandchildren, Elizabeth Sharp Butterworth (Duston), Joyce Butterworth McKinnon (Kyle), Charles Craig Butterworth, and Mary Dixon Garrett; and three great grandchildren, Isaac Orin Parker, Grace Anaya Parker, and Aurora Jane McKinnon.

A celebration of Henry’s life will be held in the coming months. Memorials may be made to Huffman United Methodist Church (711 Gene Reed Rd, Birmingham, Ala., 35235) or to St. Martin’s in the Pines (4941 Montevallo Rd, Irondale, Ala., 35210).