John Calvin Garrett MD

1942-2026

Dr. John Garrett, a pioneering and visionary orthopedic surgeon and founder of Resurgens Orthopedics in Atlanta, died peacefully at home in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 28, 2026, following an extended illness.

Born March 8, 1942, in Columbus, Ohio, he was the son of Jessie Campbell Garrett and Alfred Benjamin Garrett. During the family’s summer stays in Jackson, Wyoming, his father exposed him to fishing and mountain climbing. He attended the University High School where he was captain of the football team.

Dr. Garrett graduated from the University of Michigan with honors in Philosophy and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He attended medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City where he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and was awarded the William Perry Warren Prize in Pediatrics. While in medical school he spent a rotation in tropical medicine in Surinam and was a Fellow in the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. After graduating from medical school, his first two years of residency were spent in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1970, Dr. Garrett was called to active duty in the United States Army Medical Corps on Okinawa where he served in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. His duties included the care of casualties from the war in Vietnam. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Major and in 1973 returned to Harvard for a residency in Orthopedic Surgery, finishing as Chief Resident at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 1977, Dr. Garrett joined the Peachtree Orthopedic Clinic. From 1981 until 1993 he also served as the Orthopedic Surgeon to the Atlanta Falcons. In 1986, he founded Resurgens Orthopedics. He specialized in knee surgery, including total joint replacement and arthroscopic surgery. In 1999, he spearheaded the merger of six orthopedic practices to form the current structure of Resurgens Orthopedics. An early advocate of arthroscopic surgery, he participated in the development of this emerging field.

In conjunction with Arthrex he developed surgical instrumentations for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and osteochondral allografts. He was among the earliest surgeons in the United States to transplant a meniscus. Throughout his career, Dr. Garrett was strategic about the culture and future of Orthopedic Surgery. He considered it a privilege to mentor young surgeons and fully enjoyed the interactions with his patients and the camaraderie of working with surgical and clinical teams.

Dr. Garrett published widely in professional journals and contributed chapters to orthopedic texts. He also wrote a book about knee pain for patients anticipating knee surgery. He was a member of numerous medical societies including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy Association of North America, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, Georgia Orthopedic Society, Atlanta Orthopedic Society, The International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery, and Orthopedic Sports Medicine, and the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Study Group. He served on the boards of Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Mercy Care of Atlanta, OrthoLink, and United Surgical Partners International.

Among his honors were the Edwin F. Cave-Traveling Fellowship-1977, the Sterling Bunnell Fellowship-Surgery of the Hand-1977, the Harry J. Buncke Fellowship in Microvascular Surgery, American Orthopedic Association 1978 North American Traveling Fellow, Sister Valentina Sheriden Saint Joseph’s Hospital Award, the Georgia Orthopedic Society James Funk, M.D., Distinguished Service Award, and the Saint Joseph’s Hospital Napier Burson Award of Distinction.

When he retired in 2007, Dr. Garrett, with his wife, Joy, focused on the care and education of their three grandchildren, traveling to Eugene, Oregon, on a regular basis. They also enjoyed trips to the western United States for fishing and skiing. Dr. Garrett had a passion for wingshooting which led him yearly to Spain and England. For flyfishing, his frequent travels included South America, Canada, Mongolia, and Russia. He consistently studied languages for his travels to gain a passable fluency for the countries visited.

Dr. Garrett is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joy Shepard Garrett; his daughters Audrey Paige Garrett, M.D. (Craig Seidman, M.D.) and Jennifer Ross Garrett (Rodney James, Ph.D.); and his grandchildren Garrett, Georgia, and Benjamin Seidman. He is also survived by his sister Carol Fisher, Ph.D. (Alan Fisher, Ph.D.), and their children Elisa, Christy, and Garrett; and by his sister Nan Garrett Logan (Phil Logan, Ph.D.) and their son, Philip; and by five great- nephews: Jason, Brian, and Alex Goldsmith, Benjamin and Sebastian Logan. His brothers-in-law Douglas Shepard (Louise) and Donald Shepard (Kelli) and his nearest cousin, Bill McMaster Garrett also survive him. He was predeceased by his brother-in-law Victor Shepard (Candace).

A Memorial Service will be held Friday June 26 at 2:00pm at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Road, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Music Ministry at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Road, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30327, www.trinity.org, or to Mercy Care Atlanta, 424 Decatur Street, Atlanta, Georgia, 30313, www.mercyatlanta.org.