Linda Lee Garrett Tharp, 83

Linda Lee Garrett Tharp of Las Cruces, passed away peacefully in her sleep Saturday October 21, 2023 at Desert Peak assisted living. She was 83 years of age. Linda was born May 9, 1940, in Ardmore, OK to William P. (Bud) Garrett and Dorothy Elliott Garrett.

After WWII, Linda and her brother and sister lived in Japan where her father was stationed. When his duty was over in Japan, the family moved to White Sands Missile Range. Linda commuted to Las Cruces to attend Las Cruces High school where she met and dated her future husband, Charles Tharp. Upon graduation, she attended NMSU for a semester before she and Charles got married. Linda and Charles had 2 children, Laura and Craig.

Linda worked for 3 years as the attendance clerk for LCHS while Charles was finishing his degree at NMSU. After Laura and Craig were born, she concentrated her efforts on the raising of her children.

Linda had many activities that she enjoyed. She and Charles were very active in Mayfield High School band parents organization and enjoyed their involvement while Craig and Laura were in band. They endured many bus rides with the band to various competitions and attended all of the home games and fund-raising activities.

Linda was involved in the Las Cruces Symphony guild for many years where she  greatly enjoyed the La Quinceanera program that was a celebration for senior girls graduating from high school.

She was also involved in the NMSU Cowboys for Cancer Pink committee to help raise money and awareness for breast cancer.

Linda was a long-time member of The Wednesday Literary club, which is the oldest active book club in New Mexico.

Her favorite activities included needlework, going to the symphony, and traveling to the opera in Santa Fe with her closest friends Mary and Barbara and Nola. For some reason the husbands would decline to go with them to the opera! She loved to cook and loved to collect cookbooks and take various cooking classes, making her a gourmet cook in all our opinions! She also enjoyed traveling. She and Charles took many memorable trips with friends to various places in the US and to other countries.

Linda is survived by her husband of 65 years, Charles Tharp of Las Cruces, Linda and Charles’ Standard Poodle “Molly”, who serves as a constant companion,  her daughter Laura Kendrick (Brian) of Los Alamos, NM, Laura and Brians daughter-in-law Caroline Von Werden. Also, her son Craig (Chandra)  of Las Cruces. Grandson Cole Kendrick, Alyssa Tharp Soule (Jeffrey) and great-granddaughter Sawyer Leigh Soule. She is also survived by her sister Jan Roseman (Robert) of College Station, Tx, and her brother Dale Garrett of Houston, Tx, and her sister-in-law Claudia Tharp Keith of Albuquerque, NM.

She is preceded in death by her parents William and Dorothy Garrett, her father and mother-in-law Claud and Avalene Tharp, her brother-in-law William Tharp and her Grandson Alexander Kendrick.

Services will be held at the Farm and Ranch Museum at 10:30am on April 5, 2024.

Arrangements by Getz Funeral Home, corner of Solano and Bowman Ave. To sign our local online guestbook, please visit www.GetzCares.com