NORTH MANCHESTER – Town Council President Christopher Garber passed away Wednesday afternoon. Garber served three terms for a total of 12 years on North Manchester town council, and also served as town manager at one time. He had been re-elected for a fourth term on council that he would have begun in January. He fell ill Sept. 30 and was most recently at a rehabilitation facility in Fort Wayne, according to a statement from Manchester University, where he was assistant vice president for operations. Garber’s involvement in North Manchester also included membership in the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and the Church of the Brethren. In 2009, Garber was named North Manchester Citizen of the Year. University President Dave McFadden praised Garber in the statement as someone who “cared deeply about the university and North Manchester, his hometown.” “It is with deep sorrow that we say goodbye to Chris Garber, our dear friend and colleague ... He was a much-loved supervisor of the MU Physical Plant staff, always projecting a positive attitude and often breaking out in song,” McFadden said. “We extend our deepest sympathies to his family. He was greatly loved and will be deeply missed.”
