J. Peter Thiele

On September 29, 2020, J. Peter Thiele, MD, loving father, dedicated husband, and doting grandfather, passed away at the age of 86 years. He was born on August 5, 1934, in Chemnitz, East Germany, to parents Gertha Römer and Walter Thiele. He received his medical degree from the University of Marburg, completed Fellowships in Cardiovascular Surgery and Thoracic and Cardiothoracic Surgery at Baylor University College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas, and a Residency in General Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He was a gifted, successful, highly respected, extremely skilled, and expertly trained cardiothoracic surgeon in Dallas, Texas, practicing for only 8 short years at Baylor University Medical Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and St. Paul Hospital. He married Martha Cecilia Tellez in El Paso, Texas, on July 10, 1965. They first lived in Cologne, Germany , eventually settling in Dallas, Texas, where he lived for remainder of his life. He and his wife raised two children, Christina and Stefan.

J. Peter Thiele was a charismatic, humble, and selfless gentleman. He enjoyed listening to classical music, collecting postal stamps, vacationing with family on Padre Island, Texas, Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and international travels to Germany, grilling and smoking on the barbecue, photography, entertaining friends and family, fine dining, opera, symphony, and orchestra with his lovely wife Martha, collecting Meissen porcelain, writing letters to his mother, and playing Canasta with his children and grandchildren. Despite his shortened career, he still helped to save countless lives with his hands by repairing damaged hearts and was world-class in everything that he did. He was known as Opa to his grandchildren and adored by them, as well as all who knew him.

He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American College of Cardiology, and American College of Chest Physicians; Certified by the American Board of Surgery and American Board of Thoracic Surgery; and Member of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Michael E. DeBakey International Cardiovascular Society, and Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 35 years, Martha Cecilia Tellez, son Walter, parents Gertha Römer and Walter Thiele, and Onkel Martin Thiele. He is survived by daughter Christina Thiele, son Stefan Thiele and Wife Kristen Jackson; grandchildren William, Lawrence, Olivia, and Henry; brother Frieder Thiele and Wife Margot, their children Klaus, Wife Angelika and children Alina, Julian, Antonia; Christoph, Wife Andrea and children Felix, Annika, Dominik, Yannick; Sebastian, Wife Christiane and children Victoria, Benedict, Alexander; and Bettina, Husband Oliver and child Mathea; Peter and Jessa Anastopulos, their children Max and Lily; and Michael Hopper.

Visitation and Rosary will be on Sunday October 4, 2020, from 4-6pm at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 11am on Monday, October 5, 2020, at St. Monica Catholic Church, and Graveside Service immediately following at Calvary Hill Funeral and Cemetery. Pallbearers include William Thiele, Lawrence Thiele, Stefan Thiele, Peter Anastopulos, Bruce Stevenson, and Michael Hopper.