John Garrels - Family and Later Years

Family and Later Years

Garrels was employed in the chemical industry for many years after retiring from athletics. He was a technical director at Wyandotte Chemical Company (acquired by BASF in 1969) for 27 years. Garrels died in 1956 at age 70.

Garrels was married to Margaret Anne Garrels. They resided in Grosse Ile Township, Michigan, where they raised three children. Their son Robert Garrels (1916-1988) was a noted geochemist.

In 2009, Garrels was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Track and Field Hall of Fame.