William Lloyd Garrison

WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, 85, of Lyndhurst, Ohio passed away peacefully on Friday, June 20, 2025. He was the son of Mary Rebecca (Morrow) Garrison and Lloyd Garrison, brother of Kay Callentine and Rebecca Garrison, and stepbrother of David Cryer (Brit), Jon Cryer (deceased), Dan Cryer (Dixie), and Kathy Keller (David).
Beloved husband of Mary Jo Lipovec Mlakar and former husband of Mary Jo Florio Garrison. Loving father of David Garrison of Chicago, IL and Mark Garrison (Geniene) of Centennial, CO, stepfather of Joe Mlakar (Jen) of Fort Collins, CO, Jackie Smith (Brett) of Monclova, OH, and Jeff Mlakar (Laura) of Shaker Heights, OH. Cherished grandfather of Jessica Florio Garrison and step-grandfather of Payton, Owen, Diana, Hailie, Macie, Tenley, Sonja, and Julia.
Bill Garrison was born on December 26, 1939 in Ridgway, Pennsylvania and later spent his childhood years in Findlay, Ohio. When he was ten years old, his father passed away suddenly and his mother wanted him to have a male role model, so she enrolled him in Boy Scouts. Bill thrived in Scouting and a lifetime passion and commitment to service began. After his mother married Donald Cryer, a Methodist Minister, the blended family of seven children went on to become accomplished professionals in their chosen fields.
As a youth, Bill earned numerous awards in Scouting, notably the God and Country Award, the Explorer Silver Award, Eagle Scout, and was awarded the Vigil Honor, Order of the Arrow.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, Bill did postgraduate work at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois and the University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy and Practice. He received a Master of Social Work from Florida State University and a Master of Science in Management from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University.
Early in his career, Bill was a caseworker with the Municipal Court of Chicago and a youth minister with St. John's United Church of Christ in Evanston, Illinois. He worked with gang members and emotionally troubled youth before embarking on a career in administration for several social service agencies. Bill served as a psychiatric social worker with Bellefaire JCB in Shaker Heights, Ohio, having previously been a caseworker with the United Cerebral Palsy Association in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He served as Executive Director of the Cleveland Eye Bank and the Cleveland Society for the Blind, now known as the Cleveland Sight Center, as well as Director of Resource Development and Director of Personnel and Training at the Center for Families and Children in Cleveland. He was an adjunct instructor with the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.
For twenty years, Bill was President and CEO of Lake View Cemetery Association in Cleveland, Ohio and Vice President of the Lake View Cemetery Foundation where he was instrumental in developing many community outreach initiatives. He was also President of the Greater Cleveland Cemetery Association and the Ohio Association of Cemetery Superintendents and Officials. He was co-founder of the national Historic Cemetery Alliance.
In retirement, Bill served as Executive Director of the Heights Youth Center, as well as a Trustee for Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio. He founded two non-profit organizations – the East Cleveland Township Cemetery Foundation and the East Cleveland Parks Association. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Cleveland and the Cleveland Rotary Foundation.
Bill served in numerous roles with the Boy Scouts of America, both locally and nationally. Because his lifelong concern was for the young people on the margins of society, he spent many years as Cubmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster for an inner-city Cub pack and Boy Scout troop. One of his greatest joys was seeing his young Scouts earn their Eagle and go on to lead productive lives.
Bill is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lifetime Humanitarian Award from the Rotary Club of Cleveland, the Cliff Dochterman Rotary & Scouting Service Award, the Whitney M. Young Service Award, the Silver Beaver Award, the Silver Antelope Award, and the prestigious Silver Buffalo Award awarded by the BSA for extraordinary volunteer service on the national level.
In his later years, Bill and his wife, Mary Jo, were active in both civic and social activities. They loved attending theater and orchestra performances, trying new restaurants, and participating in charitable fundraisers. They traveled the world and embraced new friends everywhere from all countries and cultures. But most of all, they cherished time spent with family and friends whether near or far.
In the last four months since his cancer diagnosis, Bill faced the hardest climb of his life with strength and bravery, and of course that charming formality we all loved about him. He will be remembered as a visionary leader, strategic thinker, and lifelong humanitarian. His legacy will live on in the countless lives of those he touched.
Friends and family are invited to attend a "Celebration of Life" service on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Church of the Covenant, 11205 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106. Family will greet guests as they arrive beginning at 9:30 a.m. The service will be livestreamed on the church's website. A luncheon will follow the service at the Glidden House, 1901 Ford Dr., Cleveland, OH 44106. Private inurnment at Lake View Cemetery Mausoleum at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the following organizations in Bill's memory: Lake Erie Council, Scouting America, P.O. Box 93388, Cleveland, OH 44101, Rotary Club of Cleveland Foundation, 377 Lear Rd., #222, Avon Lake, OH 44012, or Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, 4515 Superior Ave., Cleveland, OH 44103.