Lila Deyo Garnett

York Harbor, Maine- Maria Decatur Mayo Deyo (Lila) Garnett died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at

Sentry Hill , on June 5. She was 95.

Lila was the daughter of Maria Ten Eyck Decatur Mayo and Vice Admiral Morton L

Deyo, a decorated D-Day and Battle of Okinawa leader who helped negotiate the

Japanese surrender. Lila was raised internationally within Navy tradition and spent part of

her youth in the Far East.

A graduate of Miss Hall’s School, Lila worked as an executive secretary and volunteered

with the Red Cross during WW II. She was married to Dr. James H. P. Garnett

(1917-1995) for 48 years. Together they raised four children, sharing residences in Easton

Maryland, Washington DC, Northeast Harbor Maine, and Kittery Point Maine.

Lila was engaged in her community wherever she lived. In Washington, DC, she was a

member of the Junior League, volunteered for Planned Parenthood, and served on the

Board of Directors at Decatur House and at Children’s and Sibley Hospitals. After

moving to Kittery Point in 1983, Lila served on the Boards at York Hospital and Moffatt-

Ladd House and Garden in Portsmouth, NH, and as a Deacon at First Parish

Congregational Church in York. She was an enthusiastic and gifted gardener, painter, and

patron of the arts, and enjoyed her time with friends at the Boston Symphony.

A direct descendant of the earliest European settlers in Massachusetts, New York, and

Virginia, Lila lived a life informed by history and tradition. She enjoyed membership in

the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, The National Huguenot Society,

and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Lila was known for her style, beauty, and strength of character. Her sense of humor

enlivened any gathering, and she was an unforgettable exemplar of grace under pressure.

She will be sorely missed. Lila is survived by her children, James H.P. Garnett Jr, Lila

Mayo Garnett, Christian Deyo Garnett, Jennings Wise Garnett, and eight grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2pm on Thursday,  August 3rd, at First Parish Congregational Church in York, Maine, followed by a reception at the York Harbor Reading Room.

Donations in Lila’s name may be made to the Maine Land Trust, or to the North Shore

Animal League. 

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