Obit: Former TV anchor John Garmon to be laid to rest Saturday
A memorial celebration of the life of John Morris Garmon, lifelong El Pasoan and longtime broadcast journalist, will be held this Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. at Western Hills United Methodist Church (524 Thunderbird Dr.) in El Paso.
John was the son of the late Jake and Ella Mae Garmon of El Paso and is survived by a sister, Gale Hill, of Seminole, Oklahoma, and brother Rev. Tom Garmon, of Albuquerque, New Mexico. John was preceded in death by an older brother, Bob R. Garmon. Surviving children include John David Garmon of Highland, California, Michael Garmon of Dallas, Texas, Stephen Garmon and Jackie Taylor of El Paso and Chris Taylor of Roswell, New Mexico. John enjoyed a whole host of grandchildren, nieces, nephews and in-laws.
He was a 1958 graduate of Austin High School and attended Texas Western College. John began his broadcasting career in 1962 at the age of 22 when he was hired by News Director Dick Glancey at the original KELP radio station on Delta Street. His four decade career in news took him to all three major network affiliates in town (KELP/KVIA TV, KTSM TV and KDBC TV).
John’s affable personality and ability to make everyone his friend stood him well as colleagues will remember John as the one person who always knew who to contact to get the story first. As a teenager, John led a local band (Johnny Garmon and the Shadows). Those were the days of a budding Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson.
His music continued throughout his life and you could often find a newer version of his band playing what he called “Rock-a-Billy” at places like Great American Land and Cattle. In the 1960’s John was “The Voice of the Miners” doing play-by-play broadcasts of Miner football on KTSM radio with Ted Bender providing color commentary.
He also served as the in-house announcer of Miner basketball in the days when the late Don Haskins led UTEP’s basketball fortunes. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in John’s memory may be made to either the American Diabetes Association or the El Paso Humane Society.
