John Edwin Aschenbrenner

John Aschenbrenner's journey through life began at New Rochelle Hospital, New Rochelle, New York, born on February 26, 1942, to Helen Geraldine Schaetzle and William Edwin Aschenbrenner. As a child and young adult, he lived in Bronxville, New York, Westchester County. At the age of six, his mother passed away, and when he was twelve, he lost his father. His aunt, Anna J. Schaetzle, his mother's sister, became his legal guardian and with her brother, Gerard Schaetzle, moved into his family home in Bronxville, New York. Through their love and unselfish devotion, they provided a life filled with loving guidance and deep faith in God. He attended St. Catherine's Parochial School and graduated in 1959 from Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York.

Dr. Aschenbrenner received his undergraduate education at Iona College, New Rochelle, New York, and was granted a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1963. He was subsequently admitted to the Graduate School at Rutgers – The State University, New Brunswick, New Jersey and was trained under the tutelage of the late, James H. Leatham Ph.D. in the field of endocrine physiology in the Department of Zoology. He received his Master of Science Degree in 1965 from Rutgers and then entered the commercial research field by gaining employment with the Schering Corporation (Schering-Plough) in Bloomfield, New Jersey. The area of his research involved development of numerous anti-inflammatory corticosteroid compounds in cats and dogs, including Valisone, the 17-a valerate of Betamethasone. That compound became one of the most popular commercially available topical steroid preparation at the time. Two years later, Schering offered Dr. Aschenbrenner the opportunity to study for his Ph.D. in Anatomy at Baylor University, College of Dentistry. Department of Microscopic Anatomy, Dallas, Texas. His mentor, James L. Matthews, Ph.D., a grantee of Schering, introduced and taught him the intricacies of both light and electron microscopy techniques. One of the highlights of his graduate career was the production of the textbook along with his mentors, An Atlas of Human Histology and Ultrastructure, authored by James Matthews Ph.D. and James H. Martin, Ph.D. Dr. Aschenbrenner was responsible for all phases of tissue processing including the acquisition, fixation, viewing and photography of all surgical endocrine specimens. The material was made available through the auspices of Baylor Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. His Doctoral dissertation, The Ultrastructural Localization of Adenyl Cyclase Activity in Gonadotrophs of the New Zealand White Rabbit Following the Intraventricular Administration of Dopamine, allowed Dr. Aschenbrenner the opportunity to learn various stereotaxic neurosurgical methods.

Dr. Aschenbrenner was granted his Ph.D. in Anatomy in 1971. Later that year, he began his postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas. He worked on rat differentiation studies in the Department of Physiology with Drs. L. Krulich and Samuel M. McCann.

On September 1, 1973, Dr. Aschenbrenner joined the faculty of the University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and enjoyed a tenure that lasted over forty years. The family moved to Denton, Texas in 1974.

Dr. Aschenbrenner received the Basic Health Science Award for Teaching Excellence in 1978 and in 1980 he was appointed to the rank of Associate Professor of Anatomy.

Dr. Aschenbrenner has taught all disciplines of anatomy and neuroscience, directed these programs and until his retirement in 2013 taught over seven thousand students-osteopathic, physician assistant, graduate, and medical sciences. Over the years he has served on most of the major committees at the health science center including the Faculty Senate. He served his third two-year terms as Chairman of the State of Texas Anatomical Board and remained a member of the board as the official representative for the willed-body program. In 2012 he was awarded the highest honor of being the recipient of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Founders' Medal at the white Coat Ceremony in Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas attended by hundreds, including students and faculty.

John was a kind and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Leading by his faith and devotion to God, he instinctively set an example of a strong work-ethic, honesty, integrity and humility and trust in God. His leadership and inspiration were admired by all who were blessed to know him.

He was loved and admired and respected by his family and friends and he, in turn, loved his son-in-law and daughter-in-law as if they were his own children.

John met his only love, Geraldine (Geri) Stumpf in 1958 when his brother, Bill, married her second cousin, Marianne Stumpf. They were paired as bridesmaid and groomsman and six years later in 1964 they were married in a nuptial mass in Our Lady of Hungary Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He and Geri were devoted to each other for fifty-seven years of marriage fulfilling their sacred vows, "through sickness and in health until death do us part".

His journey through life came to an end peacefully, on May 18, 2022, at the skilled Nursing Facility of Good Samaritan- Denton Village where he accepted God's will by coping with the final stages of Parkinson's Disease. He was a resident since January of 2021.

Our family would like to thank the administration, staff, nurses, aides, therapists, and medical teams at Good Samaritan-Denton Village for their loving care and respect shown to "Dr. A." He patiently lived his last days of his life with dignity and courage.

John will be joyfully welcomed into God's heavenly kingdom by his parents; brother, William Gerard Aschenbrenner; his aunt, Anna J. Schaetzle; uncle, Gerard Schaetzle; and niece, Helen Aschenbrenner Nabor.

Dr. Aschenbrenner is survived by his loving wife, Geri, Their three children and three adult grandchildren; daughter, Susan Ann Thornburg, husband, David and their daughter, Raegan Nicole of The Colony, Texas; daughter Diane Marie Dalton and her son, Oscar Marshall Dalton IV of Katy, Texas; and son, Graham Gerard Aschenbrenner, wife Karen, and her daughter, Emily Brooke Watson of Lantana, Texas and sister-in-law, Marianne Stumpf Aschenbrenner of Naples, Florida.

Dr. Aschenbrenner was an avid fly fisherman and fly tyer. He fished the rivers and streams of Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas, Texas, and British Columbia. Many memories of those adventures are with his children, grandchildren, and fellow sportsmen. He also loved duck hunting in Texas with friends and family and especially, his son-in-law David and his Labrador Retriever, Sadie. John's love for his Labradors, Tippy and Drake made duck hunting at Lake Ray Roberts memorable and precious. He learned the technique of taxidermy and thanks to his surgical skills he preserved some of his prized mallards' pintails and wood ducks. He will be fondly remembered by his students, family, and dear friends as a wonderful storyteller of his experiences. In his youth, he enjoyed hunting for deer and turkeys in Upstate New York in Red Hook with the Jordan family who treated him as a son. Mr. Robert Jordan was like a father to him teaching him to flyfish and hunt on the family property and farm. Along with this loving family, he felt love and joy as one of their family.

John was a co-founder of the Denton County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited; a charter member of the Dallas Flyfishers in 1972 and in 2004 he received the Founders' Award for his dedication to fly fishing and fly tying. He was a member of the Arts Guild; Greater Denton Arts Council; Denton Festival Foundation and the Kimbell Art Museum. He and his wife have been members of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church since 1974 and John is a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus Denton Council.

Services will be held with a funeral mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, at 2255 N. Bonnie Brae Street, Denton, Texas 76207 on Friday, September 30th at 2:00 PM. His cremains will be placed in the Msgr. Charles B. King Memorial Garden and Columbarium at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of John Edwin Aschenbrenner, Ph.D. to the University of North Texas Health Science Center Foundation- 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76107 on the charity of your choice.