Born August 23, 1895, Garland served in the U.S. Navy from 1917 to 1919 and graduated for Worchester Polytechnical Institute in 1920 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Hired by Frick, Waynesboro, PA, in 1920, Garland served as superintendent, chief engineer, vice president of engineering and vice president of technical services until his "one day" retirement in 1967. However, Garland never truly retired and remained active in the industry as an instructor and consultant on technical services for Frick.

International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) celebrated Garland's 100th birthday at its 1996 annual meeting in Atlanta. The following year, he gave the keynote address at IIAR's annual meeting in New Orleans.

Garland also was honored by his peers as the first recipient of the Andy Ammonia Award for his 1996 paper presentation, "Influence of Vapor Pressure in the Condensing Process of the Ammonia Refrigeration Cycle." He was an honorary life member of IIAR, a life member and fellow of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and a life member of the National Society of Professional Engineers.

Honored by President Clinton in 1998 as the oldest working American, Garland worked every day at the Frick plant of York Refrigeration, Waynesboro, PA, until June 2000. Recently, the town of Waynesboro honored his 80th consecutive year of employment.

Though his presence will be missed greatly, Garland's influence will continue to be felt throughout the ammonia refrigeration industry. Garland is survived by his wife and two children.