Judge Isaac S. Garb dies at the age of 83

Garb, who sat on the bench in Doylestown for more than 35 years and later served as a mediator in civil cases in Northampton County, was the longest-serving judge in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Garb was born in Trenton, N.J., attended Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He served in the U.S. Army intelligence services during the Korean War. His career included a stint in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Philadelphia; eighteen months as a criminal defense lawyer with the Doylestown firm, Power, Bowen and Valimont; and a failed run for the state legislature on a Democratic ticket that included Ward Clark and the novelist James Michener.

His wife of 47 years, Joan Eisner Garb, died in 2009. He is survived by two daughters, Margaret Garb and Emily Garb, a son, Charles Garb, and a granddaughter, Eva Garb.

The Garb family invites friends to drop by the family home in Buckingham between 1 and 5 on Saturday, December 8 to visit and share memories.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Judge Garb’s memory can be made to VITA Education Services, 8 Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18912 or to the Pennsylvania Prison Society, 245 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.