Obituary: Henry Duncan Garnett Jr.

Newport News attorney Henry Duncan Garnett Jr. died Jan. 13. He was 78.

The son of Newport News Circuit Court Judge Henry D. Garnett, Mr. Garnett was born in Norfolk and raised in Newport News. After graduating from Warwick High School, Mr. Garnett enrolled in the College of William and Mary, earning his bachelor’s degree from the college in 1968 and his law degree in 1972. At William and Mary, he was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa honorary leadership society.

Mr. Garnett began his career practicing law in Newport News with Jones, Blechman, Woltz & Kelly, where he began as an associate before being elevated to partner.

Along with his brother Jeff, Mr. Garnett established the Garnett & Garnett law firm in Louisa County in 1978. Mr. Garnett returned to the Peninsula in 1999, practicing as a partner with the law firm Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamondstein.

During his career, Mr. Garnett was active in many local and statewide organizations. He was a past president of both the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and the Newport News Bar Association and served on the board of directors of the Southern Trial Lawyers Association and the Virginia College of Trial Advocacy.

Mr. Garnett extended his service beyond the law, serving as past commodore of the Hampton Yacht Club and past president of the Hampton Arts Foundation. He was also an active member of his church, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hampton.

An avid outdoorsman, Mr. Garnett loved fishing and boating along the Chesapeake Bay and enjoyed waterfowl and upland bird shooting.

Mr. Garnett is survived by his wife, Diana; his children, Henry, Caroline, Michael and Douglas; his grandchildren, Reed and John; his brothers, Jefferson and Lloyd; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.