Dr. Martin Eisele

What’s that?

“How could anyone be so lucky as to have the life that I’ve had, to be born into this family, to have the family and friends that I’ve had, to have had my career, and to have done all the things that I have done in my life. I don’t know what it is. Fate? Fortune? It seems impossible that it could happen to anyone. It’s hard to believe.”

And yet, that’s been your life.

“Yeah, amazing.”

Dr W. Martin Eisele was born in Hot Springs on November 14, 1921, to Garnett M. Eisele and Mary Martin Eisele, and died September 14 at the age of 94. He attended St John's Elementary School and graduated in 1939 from Hot Springs High School where he was a cheerleader, 2 time ping pong champion, photographer for the Old Gold Book and a member of the golf team.

He was commissioned as an officer in the Army Medical Corps and served both at home and overseas.

Following his military service, Dr Eisele continued his medical training as a surgical resident in St Louis, where he met Patricia Anne Quinn, an anesthetist and RN. They married in Miss Quinn’s home town of Sedalia, Missouri in 1951. Their wedding announcement was published on the sports page of the local paper because Stan Musial, star of the St Louis Cardinals baseball team and a close friend of the bride-groom, attended the wedding.

His passion for the practice of medicine was far exceeded by his care and empathy for his patients and his drive to do all he could for the betterment of his home town of Hot Springs.

Beside his devotion to the civic and physical wellbeing of Hot Springs and Arkansas, Dr Eisele had a never ending curiosity to see the world in its entirety. He has literally been from the North Pole to the South Pole and everywhere in between.

Even after his golfing days were over, he frequented what is now the “Ebel-Eisele” card room a the Hot Springs Country Club with his best friend for over 90 years.

Dr Eisele is pre-deceased by his wife of 54 years, Patricia Q Eisele. He is survived by his brother, Federal Judge G. Thomas Eisele of Little Rock, two sons, William Martin Eisele, Jr., of Little Rock and Thomas Martin Eisele of New York, daughter-in-law Evelyne Elie-Eisele and grandson Logan Eisele.