Preston J. Garrison

October 8, 1942 – September 22, 2019

Preston J. Garrison, age 76, of Ormond Beach, FL and citizen of the world passed away after a short but valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Susan, his son Lance and his wife Kimberly of Miramar, FL, two grandchildren Elizabeth and Brady, his sister, Carol Kistler, and his brother, William Garrison, and his two Shelties, Trooper and Violet. He is predeceased by his parents Essie Ruth Garrison and Preston T. Garrison and his brother Edward Garrison. A celebration of this extraordinary life will be held on October 19 ^th at 4 pm the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ormand Beach, 56 Halifax Drive North, Ormond Beach, 32176. In lieu of flowers, donations in Preston's memory may be sent to the UUCOB by mail. Preston was born in Burke County, North Carolina where his father ran a small farm and a country store. He went on to Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology and met his future wife, Susan, when both were active in the college's drama program. They married in 1966 after she completed her studies in Drama, Speech and English. He continued his studies in psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University from 1967-1969. Preston soon after embarked on a career of advocacy for mental health services and providers. He began this path first as Executive Director of the Hamilton County, Tennessee Mental Health Association, followed by Hillsborough County, FL, Metropolitan Atlanta, and then Executive Director of the Florida Mental Health Association. From 1984 to 1991, he served as the CEO of the National Mental Health Association based in Alexandria, Virginia. In this role, he directed public policy efforts including lobbying, volunteer mobilization, and grassroots advocacy; represented NMHA's mission through speaking engagements, media communications, publications, testimony to Congressional committees and government agencies, and provided oversight and support services for five hundred state and local affiliates . On his retirement, he was recognized across the mental health service community as "The Voice for the Mentally Ill, When They Were Not There to Speak for Themselves." He then embarked on the second phase of his career as a professional consultant for a broad range of not-for-profit organizations including assisting the United Way of America in developing plans for the Mobilization of America's Children Project, the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems in the development of a national communications and marketing plan; the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy on the design for the development of the AAMFT Education & Research Foundation; and provided technical assistance and support to three Chapters of the American Red Cross. In 1999, he became the first Executive Director of the National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families, a new organization that provided support to organizations that worked in community-based programs increase the involvement of fathers in the lives of their children. In 2002, he returned to his professional roots and became the Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer of the World Federation for Mental Health. In this role, he travelled the world to lead the international voluntary mental health movement, which included visiting community and national mental health providers throughout South America, Asia, and Africa. He helped coordinated the WFMH Disaster Response Initiative in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami. He retired, for the second time, in 2009. While living first in Astor, FL and then Ormond Beach, Preston continued to support not-for-profit organizations through grant-writing, project-management and fund-raising assistance and was active in the Golden Triangle Democrats organization. He continued his life-long interest in wildlife photography and adventure travel. During 1992-1998, he had also worked as a freelance wildlife photographer and writer, which took him to places as far and wide as Churchill, Canada to photograph polar bears, the Florida Everglades to photograph waterfowl and Kenai, Alaska to photograph grizzly bears. He and Susan continued their travels together including trips to Morocco, Ecuador, Ireland, France, Iceland, and many others, including an African safari. Their most recent trip was in March of 2019 to cruise the Amazon River and tour Macca Pichu, Peru. Preston fulfilled a life-long dream to travel to Antarctica in late 2018 to photograph seals, penguins, whales, and even to participate in the famous Polar Plunge. In all, he travelled to over 100 countries and all seven continents. He explored the natural world and saw the many facets of human life on this amazing and fragile planet of ours. During the last decade, Preston was active in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ormond Beach where he was the Fundraising Committee Co-Chair, Building and Grounds Committee Chair, and most recently served as President of the Board of Trustees. Preston was a tireless advocate for organizations that seek to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. He was an adventurer who travelled the world to experience the full variety of natural and human life on our planet. He was a professional mentor to many future leaders in community services. He was an involved and active father and grandfather who instilled a life-long love of learning. He was a dedicated husband who supported his wife in her own many professional accomplishments and valued their time together above all.