Obituary of Deborah Lee Garst

Deborah (Deb) Lee Rader Garst passed away at home on July 3, 2022. She was born in Glendale, California on February 2, 1952, to Howard Rader and JoAnn (Priest) Rader. Her father worked in the aerospace industry and moved multiple times during her early childhood. They finally settled in Titusville, Florida where her father worked on the Gemini and Apollo space projects. Debbie graduated from Titusville High School in 1971, where she was a member of the Art Club. She attended college at Brigham Young University, The University of Utah, the University of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma City University where she met and married her husband Lynn Roger Garst on August 11, 1979. They had two children Geoffrey and Tyler. In 1983 they relocated from Oklahoma City, OK to Casper, WY and from there to Loveland, Colorado in 1985.

Deborah was an artist and designer and owned Echo Bay Gallery in Estes Park, Colorado and Six Directional Gallery in Boulder, Colorado. She also started her own wholesale company, Pad 19 Ltd, where her plush animals and Christmas Ornaments were featured in the World Wildlife Fund and Smithsonian catalogues and sold worldwide. She enjoyed traveling, canning, gardening and spending time with her family, friends, and dogs. Deb is remembered for her creativity, her kindness, and her sense of humor, as well as her ability to pick up a conversation with virtually anyone.

She is survived by her husband Lynn, her children Lt. Col. Geoffrey Garst, MD, MPH, USAF of Toledo, OH and Tyler Garst of Loveland, CO, her granddaughter Nadia Dahl, her grandson Neil Garst, and her brother Matthew Rader. 

She was preceded in death by her parents Howard and JoAnn and her sister Wendy Rader Harbin.

Memorial service Friday July 15, 2022 at 1:30 pm at 1st United Methodist Church in Loveland.