John G. Garner

John Grant Garner, 79, of Hanford, California passed away peacefully on July 15, 2026, surrounded by his family at home. 

John was born on August 14, 1946, to Clarence and Anna Garner. He grew up in Hanford and carried a deep love for his hometown throughout his life.

John is survived by his wife Sylvia Garner; sister Carolyn (Eden) Smith; sons James (Mandy) Garner and Jeff (Joni) Garner; stepdaughter Karen (Danny) Garbarino; stepson Joey (Nicole) Palmer; and grandchildren Grant Garner, Jeffrey Garner, Carly Garner, Jenna Garner, Elizabeth (David) Hoiness, Asher Palmer, Mila Palmer, Theodore Hoiness, and Gunder Hoiness. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Anna Garner and his brothers, Les Garner, Jim Osborne and Gary Schmidt. 

A proud graduate of Hanford High School in 1964, John enlisted in the United States Air Force in August 1965. He served his country for four years, including a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1968-69 where he was stationed at Phù Cát Air Base. John achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-5), and his service remained one of the defining honors of his life.

After returning home, John began farming cotton, corn, and wheat crops in Hanford. In 1971, he married Janet Rosenberry, and together they raised their two sons, James and Jeff. John later worked as a machinist at Hanford Automotive, then at J&H Metal Company, and finally at Smith Welding. In 2000, he married Sylvia Carlson, and together they shared 26 years of marriage.

John was gifted with extraordinary mechanical talent and an inventive mind. He could fabricate, build, or repair nearly anything related to race cars, automobiles, farm equipment, and recreational vehicles. When racers or farmers had issues with hard-to-find parts, folks would recommend, “Take it to Garner; he can make that.” When fabricating parts out of a chunk of aluminum or steel, John would simply say, “You just cut away all the pieces that don’t look like the part you’re making.”  

John had a deep love for auto racing. During the 1970s, he raced his own Willys truck and Chevy Vega at Famoso Raceway. In the 1980s, he co-owned a sprint car with Michael Hasebe, spending many weekends racing on dirt tracks throughout California and working with the team’s drivers at his shop. He also helped many local drag racers by fabricating cars, mounting bodies, building clutch grinders, and lending his shop and tools when they needed them. After years of building racecar chassis and parts for others, he built three of his own dragsters from the ground up to race with his family.

Outside of work, John cherished time with family and friends, especially while golfing at Kings Country Club and bowling at Kings County Bowl. He will be remembered for his quick wit, love of storytelling, and his ability to make people laugh. He was also an avid sports fan and took great joy in following the activities of his grandchildren. 

John leaves behind a legacy of craftsmanship, service, humor, and devotion to family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, and his impact will endure in the lives he touched. 

The family will hold a private graveside gathering to honor John and his memory.  

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