ONEONTA, NY - Dan Garlick, senior mechanic for the City of Oneonta Central Garage and a 13-year veteran, was killed in a motorcycle accident June 3, when he collided with a deer on Route 205 in Laurens, N.Y., on his way to work. He was 34.

Born June 20, 1975, Garlick was just several weeks shy of his 35^th birthday.

According to Paul Patterson, fleet operations manager for the City of Oneonta, Garlick was "the first man in each morning" and had "a deep understanding of all things mechanical."

"If a way could be found to repair something, Dan could usually find it, regardless of its difficulty," he said.

Regarded as a true public servant, Patterson attributed the reliability of Oneonta Public Transit each year to Garlick's work each morning. In addition, Garlick was also a proud member of the City of Oneonta's 100 Best Fleets in North America for 2005, 2006, and 2007. He was instrumental in saving $1.75 million of city equipment from the devastating June 27, 2006 floods that hit the City's Central Garage, said Patterson.

"He will be greatly missed. Our condolences to his family and friends," said Patterson.

Funeral and other arrangements took place June 5.