Malcolm Needs ☆ Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 It is with utter devastation and enormous regret that I have to pass on the sad news that Prof. George Garratty, one of the nicest and most intelligent people I ever had the honour of knowing, passed away on Monday. May he rest in peace. JEANESBB and Bb_in_the_rain 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 A sad day for the blood banking world. I wish his family peace. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda K Hutson Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 You are right Malcolm....a very nice and approachable man; and a huge loss to the Blood Banking community. Brenda Hutson Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abdulhameed Al-Attas Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Yes, I agree, a huge loss to the Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine Community.May he rest in peace, Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
galvania Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 That is really sad news. The IH Community has really lost one of its 'Greats' Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veejay Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Wow that is sad news. He was extremely knowledgable but was gifted at explaining things to us lesser mortals.Do we know what caused is death? Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Needs ☆ Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 I don't know for certain, but I have heard something about an autoimmune disease - but that is only hearsay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John C. Staley Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I wish to echo the above sentiments. I had the opportunity to meet George on a few occasions and thoroughly enjoyed every one. The giants of the blood bank world of my past are slowly falling and will be missed. I'm grateful for having met most of them at one time or another. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L106 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I'm sorry to hear this. My condolences to his family and friends. Donna Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMcCord Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I am so sorry to hear the news. I was fortunate to attend two lectures given by him. He could make the complicated easier to understand and fascinating to hear. My sympathy to his family and his friends. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn swickard Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Truely sad for the world of professional Blood Bankers and his family and friends too. He was an incredible contributor to the knowledge base and the current state of Immunohematology. Malcolm Needs and Sandy L 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbostock Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Oh what sad news! If I saw his name at a conference I would make sure to attend that session, no matter what the topic. Brilliant and funny man. He will indeed be missed. Sandy L, Malcolm Needs and Michaele 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz0316 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 my deepest sympathy to his family. An easily approachable person, he was kind enough to have a drink with me at a Reference Lab conference a very long time ago. A moment I will always remember! Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckcheng Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Sad to hear that. He did contribute a lot in the transfusion medicine! Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Eye Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Big loss to Transfusion Medicine Community. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimster Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I met this lovely gentleman at the CABB meeting after he had given one of his great presentations on Rh, I talked to him after the presentation was just knocked over by his patience for with my questions. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pepper Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I also had the pleasure of hearing George Garratty lecture a few times over the years. I mentioned a while ago in another thread that the golden age of exploration in our field is over. Many of the older workers (like myself) have been fortunate enough over the years to hear and meet some of the giants who shaped that discipline. The profession, and the world, is a poorer place for their passing. John C. Staley, Sandy L and Malcolm Needs 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RR1 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 He was a wonderful lecturer and made things really easy to understand- I feel privalaged to have attended one of his talks. Malcolm Needs and Michaele 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aafrin Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I have not had any chance to meet Prof. Garratty, but have known his contributions in TM. My condolences to his family & friends. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Amen. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rravkin@aol.com Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 I have never met George Garratty but I have read enough posts here and have seen his articles referenced enough to know the loss. I have co-workers who have been fortunate enough to attend his lectures and they also express their sympathy and know the loss. The information gathered will hopefully be built upon by predecessors in order to continue the discovery in our field, Immunohematology. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Needs ☆ Posted June 10, 2014 Author Share Posted June 10, 2014 I am delighted to say that there is an absolutely fantastic obituary, written by Lawrence Petz, in Transfusion 2014; 54: 1686-1687. GOSBB, AMcCord and DPruden 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne P. Scannell Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 My condolences to his family and friends.Yes, another 'great mind' has lost it's lights.He left a great mark on the world.Thank you, George Garrity. Malcolm Needs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pepper Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I just read the obituary, a fitting tribute indeed. I remember way, way back, George being involved in a sort of regional wet exercise (maybe put together by Pzifer, our reagent supplier at the time?). We were sent samples that turned out to react with all reagent cells. Some of us may have noticed a positive DAT. Participants met somewhere near Boston. No one had much of a clue as to what was going on or how to proceed. It turned out to be a warm auto panagglutinin with anti-K lurking underneath, and George went on the explain about the serology and showed us how to do autoadsorptions. Background knowledge about the serology and the technology and techniques is commonplace nowadays, but not then. Skill as an educator was one of his considerable array of talents, and I was fortunate enough to be a beneficiary. Eventually I was making ZZAP, then using the Immucor product WARM, and now PeG, but he started me, and many others, down the road. John C. Staley and Malcolm Needs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOSBB Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 It was my esteem pleasure to have met George Garratty with Peter Issitt at an AABB meeting. He was an outstanding speaker. He will be greatly missed. Praying for his family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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