© Buchanan Funeral Service
8712 N Council Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73132
(permission granted)

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Garry Wayne Cartwright

April 15, 1940 - April 27, 2020

Garry Wayne Cartwright, PhD, passed away on April 27, 2020. He was born in Stonewall, Oklahoma, to Gladys Pearl Knight and Lelon Cartwright. He attended high school in Ada, Oklahoma. At age 17, he joined the US Air Force, becoming a medical technician and working in radar sites and hospital laboratories.

While in the Air Force, he finished his GED and was then admitted to the University of Oklahoma. While finishing his bachelor's degree in Microbiology he met, and married, his wife of 39 years, Paula JoAnn Hackett. Garry then completed his doctorate in Microbiology and accepted a post-doctorate residency at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in medical microbiology. He served as Director of the Dallas County Public Health Department Laboratory during the late 1970’s and 1980's. Dr. Cartwright then accepted a professor position at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, teaching Microbiology, before retiring in 2004. Since the passing of his wife, JoAnn in 2015, Dr. Cartwright was able to reside in Florida and Oklahoma, visiting with many friends and family, until his passing earlier this week.

Dr. Cartwright is survived by his daughters; Amy Cantwell and her spouse Timm Cantwell, Allison Barnes and her spouse Justin Barnes, his son; Adam Cartwright and his spouse Katherine Cartwright, his grandchildren; Timothy Garrett Cantwell, Ethan Cantwell, Connor Barnes, Nadia Cartwright, Colin Barnes, and Joseph Cartwright; and a number of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his nephew Mark Allen Cartwright; his wife, Paula JoAnn (Hackett) Cartwright; his three brothers; Robert Cartwright, Larry Cartwright, and Richard Ray Cartwright.

Dr. Cartwright will be laid to rest at 9am at Fort Sill cemetery on May 7, 2020.

A celebration of his life, and military honors, will be held at a future date.