Donald S. Garvin

Donald S. Garvin
April 24, 1947-March 29, 2018
Don was the son of Donald S. Garvin Sr. and June M. Garvin and passed away peacefully in his sleep at the Brookdale Charleston Gardens in Charleston. A service of remembrance will be held on Thursday, April 5, 2018, at Riggleman Hall, University of Charleston, at 11 a.m.
Don was preceded in death by his mother and father and survived by his sister, Lianna Jo DeBee, her husband, Ed DeBee; Don's nephew, Eddie DeBee and his wife, Rebecca, and their three children, Leila, Ellie Jo and Harry of Edmond, Oklahoma.
After growing up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and earning his Eagle Scout award, he attended Northwestern University before moving to Eugene, Oregon. Don then moved to Buckhannon to lead his family's field operations at Braxton Oil and Gas. He was an avid fly fisherman and outdoorsman. Don spent most of his life in West Virginia during the winter and Lander, Wyoming, during the summer. He was active with the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy at the State Capitol for nearly 40 years. As early as the 1980s, as President of the Mon Chapter of Trout Unlimited, he worked alongside WVHC to protect Upshur County trout streams in the Buckhannon and Middle Fork Rivers that he saw as "some of the few remaining pristine and beautiful areas of Upshur County." Don's broad experience in commercial and legislative arenas enabled him to identify and interpret legislative issues which might impact WV cold water fisheries.  He was instrumental in the development of water quality standards to the benefit of communities across the state. From 1994 to the end of 2017, he served on the Highlands Conservancy Board of Directors admirably representing Trout Unlimited, then as ECouncil lobbyist, and most recently as organizational representative for WV Rivers Coalition.
All who knew Don would say that his gregarious style and assertive manner perfectly suited him for his work and career. He will be deeply missed by family and friends alike.
Don's family gratefully acknowledges and thanks his many friends and caretakers.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be directed to the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy or the West Virginia Mon Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Elk Funeral Home is honored to serve the Garvin Family.