Garret Martin Ihler

Garret Ihler, died peacefully at his home on Friday, August 30, in the arms of his family.  Garret was born November 4, 1939 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His parents were Gerald Ihler and Marjorie (Martin) Ihler. The Ihler family moved to Great Falls, Montana when he and his sister, Margie, were in grade school.

Garret graduated from Great Falls High School and went on to the California Institute of Technology. He graduated from the Caltech in 1961 and obtained his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University in 1967 in the shared laboratory of Nobel laureates James D. Watson and Walter Gilbert. He did his postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School, where he met his first wife, Karin Ippen-Ihler. He joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1969 and later received his MD from the University of Pittsburgh in 1976. He and Karin moved to Texas A&M in 1977 to join the faculty at the newly founded Texas A&M College of Medicine. Garret was professor and head of the Department of Medical Biochemistry & Genetics and later held the Tom and Jean McMullin Chair of Genetics. After Karin's death in 1995, he married Liisa Peterson in 1999 and subsequently retired from the College of Medicine in 2004.

He was a person with great curiosity and a gifted intellect. He adored classical music, opera and jazz. He was a book collector and history buff.

Garret was devoted to his family, which he named The Super Clan. In this he included all the members of his and Liisa's extended family - his children, her children, their partners, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and all the in-laws.
He is survived by his wife, Liisa Peterson; and his children, Alexander Ihler and Elisabeth Ihler; as well as stepchildren, Anne Menzel and Galen Menzel.


Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island.