Robert Garrett ’59

Rob died March 12, 2014, following extensive heart surgery.

Born in Morristown, N.J., Rob was the third generation of his family to attend Princeton. He prepared at the Gilman School, where he played football and lacrosse, then shifted his talents to crew when he came to Princeton. He majored in history, joined Ivy Club, and served as a cadet officer in Army ROTC. He became a Keyceptor and a Chapel deacon.

The Army took him to Germany for three years, with visits to Vienna, where he added dressage to his many talents. Harvard Business School and marriage to Jacquie Marlas followed, and then Rob was on to Wall Street with Smith Barney and the start of a career in investment banking.

In 1978, Rob left Smith Barney to embark on a series of highly successful ventures, including corporate financing and investment advising. He was involved in diverse fields — airlines, media, savings and loans — and served on numerous boards. Concerned about the vitality of the Near Eastern studies department at Princeton, to which his family had endowed several chairs, he formed and chaired an advisory council for the department.

Rob is survived by Jacquie; his sons, Robert Jr. ’90 and Johnson ’91; brothers Thomas ’61 and James ’65; and several grandchildren. In Jacquie’s words, “He was a gentle, quiet giant of a beloved and hugely respected man.”