GARRETSON, HENRY AND MARIANNA died while flying their private plane on Saturday, December 8, 2007. They were returning to Louisville from Kiawah Island, SC, when the tragedy occurred near Bardstown, KY. Dr. Garretson was an experienced pilot, having flown for over 15 years. He was instrument rated, and maintained his Cessna 210 with the same meticulous detail that he exercised in performing delicate brain surgery. Both were raised in Tucson, Arizona and met during his neurosurgical training in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Garretson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona and from Harvard Medical School, and majored in courses that stressed the neurosciences that stimulated his lifelong interest in the brain and spinal cord. Marianna Garretson (neé Schantz) graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona and was affiliated with Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Lambda Theta, and Omicron Nu. She subsequently pursued graduate studies in art history at McGill University in Montreal. After serving as a lieutenant and flight surgeon in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1958, Dr. Garretson trained under famed neurosurgeons Dr. Wilder Penfield and Dr. William Cone at the Montreal Neurological Institute. He obtained his PhD at McGill University investigating the causes and treatment of certain highly malignant brain tumors. He remained on staff at the Montreal Neurological Institute from 1963 to 1971, specializing in vascular diseases of the brain, particularly arteriovenous malformations and cerebral aneurysms. He was one of the initial neurosurgeons to recognize the importance of the surgical microscope in treating these conditions. Dr. Garretson was heavily recruited to join the Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute in New York as well as Northwestern University in Chicago. His decision to move to Louisville was a fortuitous one for this community, as he directed neurosurgery at the University of Louisville for the next 25 years and had an indelible influence on the lives of many students, colleagues and patients. Momentous technical innovations in neurosurgery occurred during this time, which he recognized and incorporated at both the University of Louisville and at Norton Hospital. These advances are now commonplace including computerization of imaging by the extensive use of CT and MRI scans, radiosurgery with a linear accelerator in the treatment of brain tumors and arteriovenous malformations, laser surgery, and endovascular neurosurgery. He regularly encouraged younger neurosurgical colleagues to visit other centers to bring back innovative surgical techniques to Louisville to keep the Department of Neurosurgery in the forefront of current technology. That leadership continues to this day, as evidenced by the fact that the Neurosurgical Department at the University of Louisville ranks 7th in the United States in receiving NIH grants. Dr. Garretson was best known as a compassionate and caring physician and teacher. His practice was primarily at Norton Hospital and the University of Louisville Hospital. He was the Neurosurgical Division Chief and Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery from 1971- 1997, as well as serving as President of the Neurosurgical Institute of Kentucky. In over 35 years of active neurosurgical practice, he trained 40 residents who are in practice throughout the United States, with nine who currently practice in Louisville and an additional six in Kentucky. These neurosurgeons include Drs. George Raque, John Harpring, Todd Vitaz, Joseph Finizio, Steven Reiss, David Petruska, Michael Doyle, Lansing Cowles, and Terry Hagan. Other Kentucky neurosurgeons trained by Dr. Garretson are Drs. Duane Denzler and Norman Mayer (Pikeville), Gregory Wheeler (Lexington), Harold Cannon (Owensboro), Bassam Hadi (Paducah) and William Schwank (Bowling Green). Dr. Garretson was an uncompromising teacher who demanded perfection from all those working with him. Although he occasionally reprimanded his neurosurgical residents, they subsequently realized that Dr. Garretson's teaching improved their quality of neurosurgical practice. His last lecture to the neurosurgical residents was given four weeks before his untimely death. His dedication to professionalism and sympathy for patients was legendary. Although he retired from the active practice of neurosurgery some years ago, many patients continued to ask about him and asked to be remembered to him. He was respected by neurosurgical colleagues throughout the United States. His early interest in vascular diseases of the brain blossomed on his arrival in Louisville where he developed techniques to decrease the risk of surgically removing congenital tangles of blood vessels (arteriovenous malformations) from the brain. He performed this operation on awake patients in order to provide the greatest degree of safety to minimize the risk of paralysis, blindness, or speech deficits following surgery. He presented his findings at many national neurosurgical meetings, resulting in patients being referred to Louisville from around the world. His teachings spread through the arena of patient care worldwide. It would be impossible to quantify the number of people whose lives were changed, and saved, by the use of the surgical procedures developed by Dr. Garretson. Many conditions that were considered hopeless as little as 30 years ago can now be treated routinely because of his dedication to the advancement of the field of neurological surgery. Henry D. Garretson was articulate, persuasive, intelligent, had a forceful personality as well as being a strong negotiator - qualities recognized by his peers throughout the United States. He was past president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the largest and most respected neurosurgical organization in the world. As president of that organization, he led the neurosurgical profession through many difficult and controversial times. He was also past president of the American Academy of Neurosurgeons, Society of University Neurosurgeons, Southern Neurosurgical Society, and was Chairman of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons. The latter organization credentials neurosurgeons for Board Certification. He was elected to the Best Doctors in America, Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World for a number of years. An endowed chair in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Louisville, named the Henry D. Garretson Chair in Spinal Cord Research (held by Dr. Scott Whittemore) was created 10 years ago to honor Dr. Garretson's contributions to the Department of Neurosurgery. He was also heavily involved with local medical organizations. He was President of the Norton Hospital Medical Staff, was on the Board of Directors of Alliant Health System, and was codirector of the Leatherman Spine Center. Since 1994, he had been a board member of the Kentucky Spinal Cord and Head Injury Research Trust. The Trust is a state governmental board that distributes grants obtained from fines collected for speeding tickets in Kentucky, which are used for research toward finding a cure for spinal cord and head injuries. Henry and Marianna Garretson were together for almost 45 years. They were married on July 4, 1964 in Tucson, AZ. Marianna was an integral part of her husband's success as both an equal partner and colleague. She supported many families whose spouses were undergoing the rigors of neurosurgical training under Dr. Garretson's direction. She was his constant companion in the raising of their children and during several presidencies of national organizations. Together they developed close friendships with many neurosur
Published in The Courier-Journal on December 16, 2007