John Thomas Garrigues Jr.

Garrigues, John Thomas Jr.

94, of St. Petersburg passed away at his home on September 11, 2025. He was born in the middle of the Great Depression in Kansas City, Kansas. An exceptional student in high school, John enrolled in the University of Kansas. When the Korean War broke out, he enlisted in the Air Force; his counselor, looking at his academic background, emphatically pronounced that he should go to Russian School. After receiving his B.A. from Syracuse University in Russian, he was deployed as Sgt. Garrigues to the mountains of Turkey to intercept the communications of Russian pilots. Following his discharge, he returned to the States and enrolled in Florida State University where he received his master's degree in Classics and found the love of his life, his wife, Louise. Married in 1957, he and Louise lived in Tallahassee, FL; Covington, Georgia; South Bend, Indiana; and, finally in St. Petersburg, FL. He earned his Ph. D. from the University of Chicago in Classics in 1966. Professionally, he taught Classics at Florida State University, Emory at Oxford, Notre Dame, and Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College). He later went on to expand younger minds at Gibbs High School, teaching history, where he remained until the end of his career. After retirement, he tutored many students in Latin and Greek. He even tutored his own grandchildren, driving to Tampa weekly to spend time with them. While John relished imparting knowledge to anyone who would listen, he also loved to learn. He was an early adopter of computer technology, earned his pilot's license, and was a compulsive reader. His library was extensive. He was a fine pianist and an excellent all-round musician with eclectic tastes. A faithful member of his church choir, John also sang choral music, performed in the choruses of local operas, and performed in a bluegrass band, playing mandolin and stand-up bass. He combined his fluency in languages (Russian, German, and Italian) with his love of travel, so in his retirement, he and Louise enjoyed many trips to Europe, where he photographed extensively the likes of tulips and Roman ruins. He was a true Renaissance man. He is survived in death by his devoted wife of 61 years, Louise Gillespie Garrigues; two daughters, Laura Mooneyham White (Tyler) and Catherine Garrigues Szelistowski (Thomas); grandchildren, Catherine Mooneyham, Benjamin Mooneyham, Caroline White, Nicholas White, Mary Piercy and Mark Szelistowski; great-grandchildren, Thomas, Benjamin, Annabelle, Matthew, Claire, Everett, and Jamie. The funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on October 12, 2025, at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, 140 4th St. North, St. Petersburg. Interment to follow at the memorial garden of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church at 738 Pinellas Point Dr. S., St. Petersburg. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the music program at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter (spcathedral.org/give - select Friends of Music Society) or The Florida Orchestra (the.floridaorchestra.org/donate/contribute). Please visit the family's online guestbook for John at nationalcremation.com.

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