Joseph "Joe" Fraser Garrott

Joseph “Joe” Fraser Garrott, a Manatee County Florida native, born October 14th 1929, passed away at his mountain home in Young Harris, Georgia on July 12, 2025 at the age of 95.  

 

He was predeceased by his parents, Robert Thomas Garrott Sr., and Nancy McCain Garrott, brother Robert “Bob” Garrott, Jr.,  his first wife of 41 years Maxine Miles Garrott, eldest son John Miles Garrott and many cherished friends and hunting buddies.  He is survived by his wife of 34 years Virginia Boyce Garrott, children G. Michael Garrott, Jayne Garrott Romine (Jay), daughter-in-law Susan Elias Garrott, stepchildren Kari Bouldin-Pfeil (Larry) and Kipp Boldin (Sandy), 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and many dear cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.  

  

Joe was a 1947 graduate of Bradenton High School (now Manatee High) where his classmates voted him Senior Class President and Best All-Around student.  He was also named All Conference in football and still holds the record for the two longest runs from scrimmage on back-to-back drives in school history. He attended and played football at both Vanderbilt and Stetson University.  From the 1950s and into the mid 1980s, Joe was known as the “Voice of the Hurricanes” providing the play-by-play of Manatee football on local radio station WTRL.  

 

Joe was well known and well respected in the community for his charismatic business leadership and energetic civic service.  He started Miles Trailer Sales with his father-in-law, John W Miles, in 1954 continuing until the early 1990s.  Joe co-developed Horseshoe Cove RV Resort and River Plaza Shopping Center in the early 1980s.   He served as the President of the Bradenton Kiwanis Club and was instrumental in the 1960s and 1970s expansion of the Bradenton Trailer Park, once known as the world’s largest trailer park.  Joe served as a Conquistador in the Hernando Desoto Historical Society as well as a board member for Manatee Memorial Hospital in the 1970s during a major expansion.   

  

Joe attended First Baptist Church of Bradenton as a child and later West Bradenton Baptist Church and Christ Episcopal Church.  

  

Joe was an avid outdoorsman; a passion shared with his father and passed on to his family’s four generations.  As a co-owner of Camp Poor Boy, founded in 1953, he maintained one of the last privately owned camps in the Big Cypress Preserve.  Joe served as an advisor to the Everglades National Park Service for the Big Cypress and continued going into camp well into his 90s. 

 

Visitation will be held Monday, July 21, 10am at Griffith-Cline Funeral Home, 720 Manatee Ave West, Bradenton, Florida.  A memorial service will follow at 11am.  A private entombment will be at Mansion Memorial, Ellenton, Florida. The family suggests that those who wish may make a contribution to their local hospice.