On July 9, 1929 the second child of
Luis and Anne Granados was born in Riverdale, Maryland. They named her Elizabeth Anne after her aunt, but she was nicknamed "Anita" by her Spanish father.
Anita attended Holy Redeemer School in Berwyn Heights and St. Cecelia's High School in Washington, DC. In 1947 she married Preston Garrison, a Navy veteran and fire-fighter for the District of Columbia. They settled in Greenbelt and had three children - Richard Preston, Kathleen Marie and Michael Joseph. Sadly, in 1955 Preston was killed in the line of duty, leaving Anita a young widow. Shortly after his death, she moved her family back to Riverdale to a newly constructed home. It was in this home she spent most of her life, raised her children as a single parent, and remained for more than forty years.
Anita worked full time as a bookkeeper for Potomac Iron Works and Art Display Company in Washington, DC. She was a talented musician, active in the choir at St. Bernard's church in Riverdale, serving both as an organist and vocalist. Once she retired, she took great pleasure in traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.
She is remembered by her great sense of humor. She loved to laugh, sing, and tell stories, especially funny stories about people she knew. She was also a generous giver of gifts, never forgetting to mark each birthday or Christmas with something special she chose for her loved ones.
In 1998, after suffering injuries from a fall, Anita moved out of her split level home Riverdale to a one level condominium in Columbia, Maryland. By 2002 her health was deteriorating, and she relocated to Holy Cross Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Burtonsville, Maryland.
On Monday, April 14, 2008, after a long illness, Anita died at Holy Cross. She will be missed by many, especially her five children, John Kernan (Dianne) of San Diego, CA, Richard Garrison (Debra) of Phoenix, AZ, Kathleen Buckley (Mark) of Columbia, MD, Michael Garrison (Juanita) of Dagsboro, DE, and Mindie Burgoyne (Dan) of Marion Station, MD.
Additionally, Anita leaves behind fourteen grandchildren - Amy, Preston, Rachel, Sarah, Meghan, Tara, Kelly, Spencer, Bonnie, Ginger, Fletcher, Dominic, Daniel and Lara - and twelve great-grandchildren - Preston, Isabella, Richard, Alexander, Tate, Annabelle, Trent, Mia, Ava, Daniel, Grace, and Mia.
Anita was predeceased by her husband, Preston, her parents, Luis Granados and Anne Waters Granados, and most recently by her brother Robert "Bob" Granados, of Huntingtown, Maryland who passed away December 22, 2007.
Many lives have been touched and changed by Anita. She is part of a large
family with over 500 living relatives, and has made many friends at her workplaces, at church, and in the communities where she lived. She is remembered as loving mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, who faced difficult obstacles in her life but managed to provide for her family, instill good values in her children, and still find time to laugh and have fun.
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