Garrett McAinsh

Garrett Laird McAinsh passed away on January 20, 2025.  He is preceded in death by his parents, William McAinsh II, Helen (Sudduth) McAinsh and brother William McAinsh III.  He is survived by his wife Judith (Gentzler) McAinsh and John Gaal a nephew.

Garrett was born June 20, 1941 in Washington D. C. His family moved several times while he was growing up, but always in Washington or the near Maryland suburbs. He graduated from Montgomery Blair high in 1959 and from Gettysburg College in 1963. He went on to pursue graduate work in the sixteenth century French History, earning his P.h.D. In that field from Emory University in 1974. By that time he had begun his career, teaching at Hendrix College from 1970 until his retirement in 2011. 

During that time he grew very fond of the school, where he got paid for doing the things he loved best - reading, learning, and talking about European history. 1999 During the late 1980s, he served a four year term as Area Head for the Social Sciences at Hendrix. In 1999 he was honored by being awarded the Harold and Lucy Cabe Distinguished Professorship. He was most proud of his work on Hendrix's WIT program in the 1980s. He led a group of faculty members in designing and teaching a highly innovative, required freshman course on our Western intellectual Traditions. The course ultimately failed, but not before its teachers and students alike had had to grapple with ideas from Plato to Aquinas to Moliere to Marx. It was intense! 

On a trip back to Washington he met and fell in love with the lovely Judy Gentzler. She became and remained his friend, lover, and partner; the two wed in 1980. Both were avid travelers, with Judy pursuing a career in the U.S. Foreign Service before their marriage. Her last tour of duty was in Seoul, South Korea in the early 1980s. Garrett was fortunate enough to be able to spend a year there with her. Later, they visited India, the site of Judy's first tour. Otherwise, their travels were mostly in and around Europe, with Garrett serving as "destination lecturer" on many cruise ships, speaking on the history of the various ports to be visited. 

After retirement Garrett continued to talk about European history to various groups, most notably teaching a number of courses in the LifeQuest programs at 2nd Presbyterian Church. That became one of the great pleasures of his life in retirement.