VCOM View Magazine Vol. 12 | No. 1

G arnett Smith, the former CEO of Advance Auto Parts, has many blessings in his life, among them three women who had a lasting impact on him. His mother died young, at age 41, so Garnett didn’t get to spend as much time with her as he would have liked, but she brought him into the world and obviously had a huge influence on him, despite the tragically few years they had together. In 1961, Garnett married the love of his life, Patsy.They were married for nearly 52 years before Patsy’s passing from cancer in 2012. “We had a great relationship,” says Garnett. “She played a major role in any success I had over the years.” His marriage to Patsy brought another important woman into his life—Patsy’s mother, Juanita Thomas, who lived with the couple for almost 40 years. Garnett says that Juanita had to quit school in just the third grade to care for her father. She also had to take care of the family’s farm animals, an impressive and time-consuming task for one so young. “Despite that, she was self-educated and well-read,” says Garnett. “She had a major impact on our family.” He’s proud that his daughter, Wendy, inherited many of her mother’s and grandmothers’ great qualities. Patsy Smith’s battle with cancer lasted 14 years, during which time the couple spent many hours in medical facilities and treatment rooms. Garnett would sometimes wait four or five hours while Patsy was being treated

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