William Joe Garland

William Joe Garland (Joe), 77, of Rockport, Texas, passed away peacefully on May 4, 2026, after a short but courageous battle with cancer. Born on November 2, 1948, to Edward C. Garland (Buddy) and Ida Jane Pfeiffer Garland (Jane), he grew up in Westlake Hills near Austin. Joe had an idyllic childhood with his wonderful parents, his beloved grandmother (Bama), and his many pets. [1]

He proudly served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. A true jack-of-all-trades, Joe loved cars, boats, motorcycles, farm equipment, and anything with an engine. He was a great storyteller—funny, entertaining, and deeply social. Yet, he also cherished his downtime at home reading, napping, and working on his property in Lamar. Joe was an avid outdoorsman who built fishing rods, tied flies, and loved to collect fishing equipment, though he often wished he had more time to actually cast a line. [1]

Joe was married to Patricia Jane Garland (Pat) for 56 years. Together, they shared a wonderful life full of travel, hobbies, and quality time with family and friends. Joe’s career included serving as the manager of Austin Machine and Grinding and as the Equipment Sales Manager for Arnold Oil in Austin. He and Pat retired early to Joe’s family farm in Elgin, Texas. They continued to travel and enjoy a second home in Rockport, where they eventually moved permanently before settling in Lamar. [1, 2]

Joe is survived by his loving wife, Pat; brother-in-law, Frank and wife Cris Pribble of Austin, TX; cousins, Sherryl Jean Davis and husband Bob of Fredericksburg, TX, Sally Jazayeri and husband Hamid of Austin, TX, Mary Aldrich and husband George of Bellaire, TX, and Robert Garland. He also leaves behind second cousins, Jason Pfeiffer and wife Gaby of San Antonio, TX, Chris Pfeiffer and wife Kelly of Hartsel, CO, and Lisa Stuart and wife Paul of Boerne, TX.

His memory will be cherished by his nephew, Charles Pribble and wife Pamela of Burnet, TX (along with their children, Chelsea, Chuck, Jr., and wife Julie); nieces, Denise Haskett and husband Mike of Bishop, TX, and Peggy Schwarzer of San Antonio, TX; as well as many beloved great-nieces and great-nephews on both sides of the family. He is also survived by his faithful and beloved dog, Chiquita (Chickie). Joe was preceded in death by his parents; father-in-law, Frank Pribble, Sr.; and mother-in-law, Bonnie Ruth. [1]

To view his official tribute or leave a condolence, you can visit the Elgin Funeral Home or Legacy | Obituary pages.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William Joe Garland, please visit our floral store.