John L. Garvey, professor emeritus at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, passed away on Thursday, October 4, 2018. John L. Garvey was 91 years old, and many in the Law School community still remember and hold dear his contributions.
Professor Garvey attended the Catholic University Law School and graduated with the LL.B degree in 1948. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Michigan, receiving the S.J.D. degree in 1967. In 1978, he was awarded the LL.D degree (Hon.) by Xavier University in recognition of his contributions to the Church, his profession, and society. After several years of practice in Kentucky, Professor Garvey joined the faculty of the Law School in 1951. He rose to the rank of Ordinary Professor in 1965. He served as Associate Dean from 1963 to 1969, and as Dean from 1977 to 1979.
Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Wednesday, October 10, 2018, from 7 to 9 p.m. and at Our Lady of Grace Church, 15661 Norbeck Blvd., Silver Spring, MD, on Thursday, October 11, 2018 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. where Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
His obituary was posted in the Washington Post on October 7, 2018.
Below is an excerpt from the Catholic University Law Review, Volume 49, Issue 1, Fall 1999. This article was written in grateful recognition of Garvey's scholarly achievements and academic leadership, and prepared under the guidance and support of Professors George P. Smith and Roger Hartley.
DEDICATION
JOHN L. GARVEY: A TRIBUTE
Chiseled into the limestone faqade of the entrance to the law school building are sixteen words selected by the faculty as those virtues and values to which all lawyers should aspire: Trust, Charity, Wisdom, Fidelity, Compassion, Truth, Equality, Justice, Liberty, Fairness, Community, Service, Integrity, Learning, Honesty, and Conscience. The idea for this listing came from John L. Garvey, Whiteford Professor of Law.
In a very real way, these simple, yet powerful, words both characterize and, indeed, mark the life of the dedicatee of this volume of the Catholic University Law Review - a man whose collective experiences as a student and colleague span well over four decades of distinguished service and selfless dedication. Indeed, integrity, wisdom, and service may well be the central hallmarks of John Garvey's character-a character tied to a dedication to the values of human dignity.