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Courtesy of the Greenville Daily Reflector

Les Garner, Beloved Friend
Les Garner
A former Greenville mayor and community leader will always be remembered for his friendship and devotion to community.

Les Garner, 89, died at Pitt County Memorial Hospital on Monday after suffering a fall Saturday night. He owned a wholesale distribution company, was a longtime supporter of East Carolina University's Pirate Club, an officer in Kiwanis and a supporter of numerous community charities.

Garner sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at many ECU baseball games and did so again on Saturday.

He started his singing stint in 2005 after leading a Kiwanis group in a rendition of the song when former baseball coach Randy Mazey spoke. The coach was so impressed he invited Garner to sing at a home game, said Mark Wharton, the Pirate Club's executive director.

"It developed into a tradition, and being in the press box for most games he just brought a lot of positive energy. He was a positive person," he said.

ECU will remember Garner on Thursday when the Pirates play Oklahoma State. A moment of silence will be held before the bottom of the seventh inning, and the audience will then be invited to sing along with a videotape of Garner's performance, said Jimmy Bass, ECU senior associate director of athletics.

"He meant an awful lot to Pirate baseball over the years, and this is a small tribute from us to him," Bass said.

Garner also served as mayor of Greenville from 1986-87. He was honored by the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce as its Citizen of the Year in 1976 and in January was named its second Legends Award recipient. Known as "Mr. Kiwanis," he helped organize more than 50 clubs and served as governor of the Carolinas District.

A native of Newport, Garner graduated from Greenville High School in 1937. He was a World War II veteran, honored for distinguished service as a radio operator and nose gunner on B-24s. He flew 51 missions over Europe and was awarded four air medals and two presidential unit citations.

Garner married the former Evelyn Griffin of Williamston and raised five children, including two foster children.

He was a founding partner in Garner Wynne Manning, from which he retired in 1990.

Garner fell on some brick steps at the home of a friend after attending the annual Service League Charity Ball on Saturday night and an East Carolina University baseball game earlier in the day, according to friends. He suffered a head injury.