GARRISON
George Leonard, age 79, died on March 26, 2013, at Care One in Wayne.
He was the loving husband of Betty L. Garrison, father of Leslie Sorkin (Ken), and Dr. David Garrison (Amy). The proud and devoted grandfather of Gary Sorkin, Andrew Sorkin, Sydney Garrison, and Maya Garrison. He has one sister, Shirley Krusheski (Walter). His brothers-in-law are Edward Lerman (Karen), and Robert Lerman (Anne). Nieces and nephews are Debbie Blitzstein (Steve), Alan Krusheski (Sima), William Lerman (Arlene), Elizabeth Kling (Larry), Adam, Gordon, and Sarah Lerman.
George was born in Paterson NJ, went to the public schools there, and graduated from Rutgers University and Rutgers Law School in Newark. He was a senior partner in the law firm of Carlet Garrison, Klein and Zaretsky in Clifton, NJ.
During his lifetime, he was a member of the NJ Bar Association, the President of Clifton B'nai Brith, Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the NJ Bar Association, member of law school fraternity Beta Sigma Rho, member of the Ethics Committee of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, member of the Clifton Board of Education, and as a young man a member of the Paterson Spartans. He was also a member of the Jewish War Veterans in Wayne. He was a past president and member of the Jewish Memorial Chapel.
He was actively involved in Temple Beth Tikvah in Wayne where he attended Torah Studies and was on the steering committee of the Renaissance Club.
George loved his family and many many friends from all of his exp riences. He travelled widely with his children and wife to many Civil War sites. In later years he and his wife Betty travelled to many countries around the world and enjoyed cruising as well. His favorite hobby was working on his lathe creating wooden bowls. Barbara Degnen, 77, of St. Louis, Mo., and formerly of Rutland, died Tuesday, March 5, 2013, in St. Louis. She was born May 12, 1935, in Montclair, N.J., the daughter of Thomas and Sadie Reilly Ward. A graduate of St. Vincent's School of Nursing, she married Thomas Degnen in 1955. They raised their family in Proctor and Bomoseen. She was director of nursing at Brandon Training School and Pleasant Manor nursing home, and served as nursing home inspector for the state of Vermont. Survivors include her husband; six children, David Degnen of Woodbury Heights, N.J., Dianne Johnson of Bountiful, Colo., Dr. Suzanne Degnen of Webster Groves, Mo., Debbie Candon of Rutland, Mark Degnen of Chicago and Timothy Degnen of Athens, Ga.; a sister, Jean Boland of Connecticut; 12 grandchildren; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by four siblings, Joan and Thomas Ward, Marie O'Connor and Marjorie Burleigh.