Silas G. Garrett, Jr.
Silas Grifton Garrett Jr., whose service to his country took him from World War II to the top of the St. Louis Gateway Arch, passed away in St. Louis on Feb. 17, 2015 after a series of strokes and heart attack. He was 88.
Mr. Garrett was known by a number of nicknames throughout his life, including Si, Junior, Uncle Genie, Grifton, Glut and Popsie. He was also called Gary by his beloved wife, Jean, who preceded him in death in 2013.
Silas was born on Sept. 20, 1926 in Centralia, Illinois, to Silas Grifton Garrett Sr. and Thelma Elizabeth Garrett. He was the oldest of five children. As a youth he suffered a near-fatal gunshot wound to the head during a hunting trip with his father, an incident that earned him another nickname — Bullet. He made a full recovery and went on to become an accomplished student-athlete at Centralia High School, where he graduated in 1944.
After high school, Silas enrolled as a pre-engineering student at Central State College (now Central State University) in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he played football, participated in the U.S. Army ROTC officer training program, earned an airplane pilot’s license and became a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He later attended the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (now Missouri University of Science and Technology) in Rolla, Mo., and was one of its first African-American graduates, receiving a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in engineering.
Silas took a break from his studies at Central State and enlisted in the Army during World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1946, returned to college and later rejoined the Army as an officer during the Korean War, including duty in Japan. He later served in the U.S. Army Reserves until 1969, when he retired from military service with the rank of Major.
Among his many achievements during his professional career, Silas was a physics professor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. While at Lincoln, he met Erma Jean Simpson, an elementary education student. The couple were married on June 10, 1961 in Wichita, Kansas. Jean and Silas had two daughters, Celeste Garrett, of Chicago, Ill., and Dionne Garrett-Castor, of Honolulu, Hawaii.
In 1962, the couple moved to the St. Louis area, where Silas began his career as an aerospace engineer with the Army Aviation Systems Command (AVSCOM). Known for telling his “joke of the day,” he worked on various projects, including high-intensity strobe lights for the Army’s AH-56 Cheyenne helicopter.
One day while gazing at the Gateway Arch from his office window, Silas determined that strobe lighting atop the nation’s tallest monument would be helpful in preventing aircraft collisions. The National Park Service approved his proposed concept and Silas supervised installation of the lighting system. He made 13 trips to the top of the Arch, mainly to supervise maintenance of the lighting system and, on one occasion, to hang a banner that promoted the Army’s Combined Federal Campaign. He retired from civilian service in 1988.
Silas was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Alonzo Garrett. In addition to his daughters, Mr. Garrett is survived by his sister, Helen Hughes, of Chicago, and two brothers, James Garrett and Simba Tayari, both of Chicago. He also is survived by five grandchildren, Martin Garrett-Currie and Elizabeth Garrett-Currie, of Chicago, and Holland Castor, Mia Castor and Ferris Castor, all of Honolulu, Hawaii; two sons-in-law, Bennie Currie, of Chicago and Todd Castor, of Honolulu, Hawaii; as well as a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.
Burial will be held on Tuesday March 10, 2015, at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.
Si, was a true gentleman. He was one of the fist people I got to know when I was assigned to the Army Aviation Systems Command. He was somewhat of a mentor to me and I often sought his advice. He was a man of rare good humor and I was proud to call him my friend. I will never forget him.
We first met Si on 23 Dec. 1963 when I was assigned as a person to be mentored by Si by Ron Redman, Chief of the U-8/U-9/U-10 Engineering Project Office. Uninhibited by regulations, Si instructed me on ‘Si’ procedures to be used to get the job done. After three years I departed but saw him regularly in the hallways and received the ‘joke of the day’. Few are aware of the resistance he received when arranging and placing the strobe light atop the St Louis Arch, a monument to the man and his accomplishments. We will keep him in our prayers forever.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Garret in 1971 as an 11year old kid. He worked with my mother at the St.Louis Record Center 9700 Page Ave. He remodel myother’s basement and patiently put up with me as I attempted to help and asked questions. After he completed the remodeling job and left enough scrap were I was able to build my very first structure ( A Clubhouse ). Never to see him again until 40 years later as a me member of the neighborhood who always had a joke. Never realized who he was until he told me the story of being the brain trust of the light that sat on top of the Gateway Arch. It was when I went home and read the news article that I then recognized the name. I called my mother, she confirmed he was the man I had met 40 years ago. I then called Mr. Garrett and told him who I was and how he influenced me. He then asked what was it that I did for a living, I replied ” I’m a Carpenter”. We rekindle our friendship and had great conversations. He would hire me for projects around his home keeping a watchful eye on me. A true American Hero. R.I.P., my friend.