Samuel "Sam" D. Garst

Samuel D. “Sam” Garst died at home on December 4, 2013 after a determined battle with lung cancer with his wife of 40 years, Christine B. “Chris” Garst, at his side. Sam was born on April 6, 1950 in Carroll, Iowa, first child of David and Jo Garst. His grandfather, Roswell Garst, was a well-known pioneer of modern agriculture and hybrid seed production. When Sam was nine years old, Nikita Khrushchev visited the family farm in Coon Rapids, Iowa during his famous trip to the U.S. Sam attended public schools in Coon Rapids and graduated in 1969 from The Lawrenceville School in Princeton, New Jersey. He received his B.A. in History and Economics in 1973 from The University of Pennsylvania. It was at Penn that he met his soul mate, Christine; they were on the steering committee for A Movement for a New Congress, a group working to elect anti-war candidates. Politics continued to be a major part of their lives. Following their marriage in 1973, at the suggestion of Sam’s mother, they went to Council Bluffs, Iowa to work on the campaign of Tom Harkin, candidate for U.S. Congress. Tom always credited Sam with getting him elected for the first time in 1974, and launching his Congressional service of 40 years. Sam and Chris moved to Washington D.C. to work in Tom’s Congressional office, Sam as legislative assistant for agriculture, one of Tom’s committees. After Jimmy Carter was elected in 1976, Sam applied for and was accepted to a position in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as Congressional Liaison. In 1979, Sam and Chris moved back to Iowa, living in Perry, so Sam could help out with the family business, hybrid seed, as it transitioned from a franchise of Pioneer Seeds to an independent operation, Garst Seed Company. In 1981, they adopted their son, Matthew “Matt” and moved to Coon Rapids. Sam ran unsuccessfully for the Iowa Senate in 1984. The following year their daughter, Jo, was born. The Garst Seed Company was sold to ICI, a British corporation, and Sam and Chris and their young family moved to England so Sam could assist with the acquisition. Sam loved driving around the Sussex countryside in his MGC. He was active with Democrats Abroad and served as its Chair and delegate to the 1992 Democratic Convention. After four years with ICI, Sam bought a pre-printing operation in Central London and ran that until the family returned to the US in 1995, choosing the Minneapolis area to live. Sam was involved in several businesses in Minnesota, and active with the Sierra Club and other environmental/alternative energy organizations. He ran for, and lost, seats on the Minnesota House of Representatives and Minnesota Senate. Senator Paul Wellstone was one of his heroes. In 2003, Sam and Chris bought a small RV and traveled the US for nine months, visiting countless national parks, monuments and historical places. They settled in Olympia and immediately became active in Democratic politics and energy/climate change campaigns. Sam was employed by Merrill Lynch as a Financial Advisor, and was known for serving clients in socially responsible investing. He weathered the economic crisis of 2007 and was always optimistic about the future. Sam had amazing energy, a positive outlook, deep commitment to environmental and social causes, a love of the outdoors, and pride in his energy-efficient home and electric cars. He had an impact on any community in which he lived. He wanted to be known for “working hard to make the world a better place.” He is survived by his wife, Christine; son, Matthew and daughter, Jo; granddaughters, Nyaomi Johnson and Dayanna Johnson-Garst; sister, Sallee (Richard) Haerr; brother, Jimmy Garst; nephews, Nathan Haerr and Joseph Garst; niece, Phoebe Garst; aunts, Jane Kamps and Mary Garst; and several cousins. Donations are requested for the Thurston County Food Bank, the Washington State Parks Foundation, or charity of one’s choice. Please leave memories of Sam or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.