Lt. Garrett Stuart Presnell

On the morning of Tuesday, August 31, 2021, Lt. Garrett Stuart Presnell passed away at Forsyth Medical Center with his loving family by his side. Born in Buncombe County on April 6, 1993, Garrett was the son of Sherie Buchanan Presnell and the late Charles Presnell, Jr.

Along with his father Charles, he is preceded in death by a brother, Levi Maltba and his paternal grandparents, Charles and Thelma Presnell.

Garrett was a member of Bethel Baptist Church and was the president of the McDowell County Fire and Rescue Association. His lifelong service to the Sugar Hill / Montford Cove fire department began in 2009, where he worked his way up to become a Lieutenant and is still serving. Garrett was currently working for the town of Black Mountain as a full-time fireman. He served part time in Old Fort, Pleasant Gardens, North Cove Fire Department, as well as the NC Forestry Service. He taught fire safety and was instrumental in the Fire and Life Safety program here in McDowell County. Garrett was also an avid outdoorsman. He truly loved others and was always putting them first.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife of five years, Kelsey Irene Presnell; his mother, Sherie Buchanan Presnell; maternal grandparents, Stuart and Eileen Buchanan; his daughter to be born in September, Kora Eileen Presnell. Also surviving Garrett are two brothers, Corey Presnell (Lacey) and Douglas Lee Cooksey (Lirije) and mother and father-in-law, Ervin and Pam Smith and niece Carly Presnell.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at Tom Johnson Rally Park at 1:00 p.m. with Reverends Jimmy Upton, Jeffrey Parker and Chief Scottie Harris officiating. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., prior to the service at Tom Johnson. A private family and close friends interment will be held at the Presnell Family Cemetery.