John Cecil Garland

1937 - 2024

John Cecil "Diggy" Gar-
land, 86, passed away
peacefully on Friday, Nov.
1, 2024, in Toccoa, Ga.
He was the son of the
late Cecil and Fannie Gar-
land. He was born on Dec.
26, 1937, in Toccoa, Ga. He
graduated from Toccoa
High School in 1957 where
he was an outstanding ath-
lete receiving many hon-
ors including All State in
Georgia football. Diggy
spent 47 years working at
the Toccoa Casket Compa-
ny where he rose from a
grinder in metal assembly
to Plant Manager and sev-
eral years working at
American Heritage where
he retired. He was an in-
fluential presence and role
model to many young men
in the community having
coached baseball and foot-
ball for many years. He
loved Georgia football, a
good western and was a
skilled craftsman. He was
a member of St. Matthias
Episcopal Church.
Diggy Garland was a
dearly loved husband, fa-
ther, grandfather, great-
grandfather, uncle,
cousin, brother and friend.
He valued hard work and
a commitment to excel-
lence in all pursuits. He
poured his heart and soul
into his family and was a
devoted family man. He
maintained a strong pres-
ence through his integrity,
honesty, and compassion
to those who were fortu-
nate enough to know him.
Heaven received a great
man on Friday, and he
will be dearly missed by so
many on this earth. We
are confident he was met
by hundreds of his furry
friends at the Rainbow
Bridge.
Diggy is survived by his
loving wife of 65 years, An-
geleyn "Angie" Way Gar-
land of the home; his chil-
dren, Jonda Garland
Wisotzke, Brett Garland
(Ginny), Jenna Garland
Clark (Gary); his grand-
children, Danielle Hom-
broek (Nathan), Taylor
Clark (Kaitlyn), Austin
Clark, Jessica Garland
(Donnie), Jordan Garland,
Jaycee Garland, Tania
Wisotzke (Paul), Kimberly
Wisotzke (David), and RJ
Parker; his great-grand-
children, Amelia, Connor,
Eleanor, Lincoln, Lainey,
Jax, Millani, Nicholas,
Paisley, Miles and Samuel;
his brothers and sisters;
Ruth Williams (Joe),
Harold Garland (Rita),
Carol Harrison (Reeves),
Roger Garland (Cathy); his
brothers-in-law and sister-
in-law, Linda Williams
(Sandy), Chuck Way and
many cousins, nieces,
nephews, grandnieces and
grandnephews.
He was preceded in
death by his parents, Cecil
and Fannie Miller Gar-
land; his brothers and sis-
ters, Betty Garland
Looney, Barbara Garland
Hornick, James Garland;
in-laws, Troy and Vicie
Way; brothers-in-law and
sister-in law, Marian Way,
Randy Way, Herbert
Looney, Howard Hornick,
Reeves Harrison; numer-
ous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were
held Wednesday, Nov. 6,
2024, at 2 p.m. at St.
Matthias Episcopal
Church with the Rev. Scott
Harding and the Rev. Jer-
rell Beatty officiating. The
body lied in state at the
church from 1 p.m. until
the service time. The fol-
lowing gentlemen served
as pallbearers; Taylor
Clark, Austin Clark,
Nathan Hombroek, Gregg
Garland, Andy Williams,
Elwin Northcutt, Eddie El-
rod and Buster Smith.
Honorary pallbearers
were Lincoln Bowers, Con-
nor Hombroek, Jax Cash
and Nicholas Thomas.
The family received
friends at the Acree-Davis
Funeral Home on Tues-
day, from 5-7 p.m. Online
condolences may be left
for the family at
www.acree-davisfh.com.
Flowers were optional.
Memorials may be made
in his memory to St.
Matthias Episcopal
Church, 995 E. Tugalo
Street, Toccoa, Georgia
30577, to a charity of ones
choice or to the Toccoa-
Stephens County Humane
Shelter, P.O. Box 2182,
Toccoa, Georgia 30577.
Interment followed in
the Stephens Memorial
Gardens with the Acree-
Davis Funeral Home and
Crematory in charge of the
arrangements for John Ce-
cil "Diggy" Garland