Alumni

1941
Paul A. Kirschner, professor emeritus of cardiothoracic surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, died Jan. 4, 2014. Associated for his entire career with Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was a former chief of the general thoracic surgery service, Dr. Kirschner was best known for his contributions to the management of lung cancer, myasthenia gravis, and the use of mediastinoscopy as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Dr. Kirschner served as a battalion surgeon in the Second Battalion in the U.S. Army, stationed in Italy, during World War II. He was a former president of the New York Society for Thoracic Surgery, chairman of the Section on Surgery of the New York Academy of Medicine, and governor of the American College of Surgeons. Preceded in death by his wife, Charlotte, he is survived by two daughters, a son, and four grandchildren.

Irwin Perlmutter, professor emeritus of neurosurgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, died March 16, 2015, at age 98. He was one of the founding members of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Miami. Dr. Perlmutter served as lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. Preceded in death by his wife, Corinne, he is survived by three daughters, two sons, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

1943D
Brooks J. Hoffman, the first board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist in Greenwich, Conn., who in the course of his career delivered more than 2,500 babies, died June 11, 2015. Upon turning 93, he was featured in a profile in the town’s paper, the Greenwich Citizen. Dr. Hoffman was instrumental in developing a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which he later chaired, at Greenwich Hospital. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II. Preceded in death by his wife, Jane, a graduate of the Columbia School of Nursing, in whose memory he established a scholarship there, he is survived by three daughters and two sons.

1946
Philippe V. Cardon, a retired caseworker for the Mortality Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and retired captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, died Aug. 2, 2015. Dr. Cardon served for many years as a research scientist specializing in psychosomatic medicine at the National Institute of Mental Health. In his free time he was an avid sailor. Preceded in death by his wife, Leah, he is survived by a daughter, a son, and five grandchildren.

John H.F. Howkins, a retired psychiatrist who practiced for more than 60 years, died Feb. 26, 2015, at age 93. Dr. Howkins served with the 82nd Airborne Division during World War II. Proud of his ancestry, he was a direct descendant of Thomas Heyward, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Preceded in death by his first wife, Phyllis, and a daughter, he is survived by his second wife, Agnes, a daughter, a son, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

1948
James S. Marshall, a retired endocrinologist and emeritus professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve Medical School, died Feb. 14, 2015. Dr. Marshall served in the U.S. Marines. He pursued a private general practice for more than a decade before joining the faculty of the Department of Medicine and the staff at University Hospitals in Cleveland. Known for his NIH-funded research in thyroid disease and breast cancer, he was co-author of more than 50 scientific papers. When recalling his fondest medical school memory, he wrote on an alumni questionnaire: “the times I spent in anesthesia with Ginny Apgar who has been my inspiration throughout my career.” In his spare time he sailed his boat, the Whisper, on Penobscot Bay. Preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth, he is survived by four daughters, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and a beloved cat.

Herbert S. Peyser, a retired psychiatrist who specialized in problems of addiction, died April 6, 2015. A member of the psychiatry faculty at Mount Sinai Medical Center, he served as a consultant psychiatrist for many years at the Smithers Alcoholism Treatment Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center. A member of the board of trustees of the American Psychiatric Association, he also was an active member of the New York State Psychiatric Association and the Medical Society of the State of New York, for which he was a founding member of the Committee for Physician Health. Co-editor of “Alcoholism: A Practical Treatment Guide,” Dr. Peyser was a recipient of the Ronald A. Shellow Award of the APA. Survivors include two daughters, a son, and five grandchildren.

1949
Robert A. Pastel, a retired pediatrician, died April 2, 2015. He served in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Japan and Guam. Dr. Pastel was an adjunct member of the faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical School and served for many years as chief of pediatrics at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y. In the course of his career he volunteered with the SS Hope in Tunisia, CARE/MEDICO in Indonesia, Honduras, and Peru, and the Indian Medical Service in New Mexico. In his spare time he was an accomplished wood turner and was active with the Syracuse Peace Council, Boy Scouts of America, and various antidiscrimination organizations advocating for fair housing and voting rights in Syracuse. Preceded in death by his wife, Bernice, he is survived by 13 children, 30 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

G. Douglas Talbott, a pioneer in the recognition and treatment of alcoholism and drug dependencies as diseases, died Oct. 18, 2014. He was 90. The cause was pneumonia and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Talbott was the founding medical director of the Talbott Recovery Campus in Atlanta, Ga., which became the treatment center of choice for addicted health care professionals. His innovative treatment methods included the Mirror Image, Return Visit Programs, community living, and extended therapeutic leaves, methods later duplicated by other treatment centers around the country. Dr. Talbott served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force and as chief of medicine at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He was the founding director of the Cox Heart Institute, a nationally recognized cardiac research institute. Working with the American Medical Association, he helped found the Impaired Physicians Program. He was central in founding the American Society of Addiction Medicine, of which he served a term as president. The Talbott Recovery Campus, which he co-founded in 1989, put all his principles to practice in the treatment of physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, and other health professionals suffering from addiction. Dr. Talbott consulted at the White House, wrote books and articles, and made numerous appearances on radio and TV. In his spare time he was a nationally ranked squash player and a co-founder of the Southeastern Squash Racquets Association. He was the first recipient of the Dayton Squash Racquets Association Lifetime Achievement Award. He is survived by his wife, Polly, two daughters, four sons, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

1950
Mary O. Gabrielson, a retired obstetrician & gynecologist committed to women’s health and family planning, died Aug. 16, 2015. She also held an MPH degree from Yale University. Both she and her husband, Ira Gabrielson’49, who preceded her in death, were members of the faculty of the Medical College of Pennsylvania and pursued parallel careers in public health and medicine. She and her husband also were world travelers and mountain climbers and members of the Appalachian Mountain Club; they ascended 48 peaks. Fond of high places, she took up flying in her 70s and flew a Cessna 172R well into her 80s. Survivors include a daughter, three sons, and six grandchildren.

Word has been received of the April 24, 2011, death of retired obstetrician/gynecologist Hermogene Lopez. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, he was a member for many years of the attending staff at the Centro Medico de Caracas. In his free time he raised cattle and rode horses. He is survived by his wife, Herminia, five daughters, and a son.

Richard S. Morgan, former professor of molecular biology at Penn State University, died Aug. 23, 2015. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was a sculptor by avocation and was involved in the establishment of the Rhoneymeade Arboretum and Sculpture Garden in Potter Township, Pa. He is survived by a daughter and two sons.

1951
Clark S. Collins, a retired ear, nose and throat specialist, died Feb. 15, 2015. Dr. Collins served as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy. He pursued a private practice for 37 years in Greenville, S.C. An avid history buff, Dr. Collins also loved travel and animals. Preceded in death by a son, he is survived by his former wife, Delores, two daughters, and two grandchildren.

1952
John F. Heffernan Jr., a retired internist and endocrinologist formerly affiliated with Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, N.J., died Dec. 5, 2012. He served in the U.S. Air Force. He was 84. He is survived by his wife, Ivanka, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

Richard J. Kaufman, a retired internist and medical oncologist affiliated for much of his career with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, died Sept. 7, 2015. He served as a combat infantryman in the European Theater during World War II. A revered clinician, he also pursued research in modes of treatment of breast cancer, on which he authored 40 papers. He is survived by his wife, Katherine Lobach Kaufman’52, a daughter, two sons, five grandchildren, and three stepgrandchildren.

1954
Joseph E. Mackie, a retired internist, died Dec. 7, 2014. A World War II veteran, Dr. Mackie served in the U.S. Army and the 441st Counterintelligence Corps in Japan. In private practice for four decades, he was affiliated with N.E. Deaconess, St. Elizabeth’s, and Newton-Wellesley hospitals. Survivors include his wife, Florence, a daughter, three sons, and two grandchildren.

Daniel Malcolm, a retired rheumatologist-oncologist, died June 13, 2015. Chairman of the Visiting Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he was an avid collector of African art in his free time. Survivors include his wife, Dr. Marian Malcolm, a daughter, and two sons. He was a staunch supporter of the medical school. Commenting on the state of medicine today compared with 1954, he once wrote on an alumni questionnaire: “There have been incredible advances in basic science and technology, but changes in delivery of medical care have caused deterioration of patient-doctor relationships.”

David T. Read, a retired psychiatrist in private practice, died of respiratory failure July 28, 2015. Dr. Read served as medical officer in the U.S. Air Force. Recalling the high points of his colorful career, Dr. Read fondly included an internship with Albert Schweitzer, a psychiatric internship with Carl Jung, friendship with Charles Lindbergh, and service as ship’s doctor on the MS Gripsholm. In retirement he found time for poetry and love of wildlife. Survivors include his ex-wife, Inge Frolich, and a daughter.

1955
Richard L. Naeye, founding chairman and professor emeritus in the Department of Pathology at Pennsylvania State University, died Dec. 10, 2013. He pursued research on the causes and timing of hypoxemic/ischemic brain damage in utero and was instrumental in the development of the medical student curriculum in his field. The author of more than 270 scientific papers, his principal areas of research were coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, sudden infant death syndrome, and pregnancy disorders with an emphasis on placental abnormalities. Outside of his teaching and research he loved nature photography. Dr. Naeye is survived by his wife, Patricia, two daughters, and a son.

1957
Martin J. Wohl, an “old school” internist and master diagnostician in the Boston area, died Aug. 20, 2014, on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, his summer destination of choice. He was affiliated for 45 years with Massachusetts General Hospital. A member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, he served for years as physician for the Harvard University Health Services and made time to serve on the Admissions Committee of Harvard Medical School. Preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ellen Beck Wohl’58, professor of pediatrics emerita at Harvard, he is survived by a daughter and a son.

1958
William J. Kane, a retired orthopedic surgeon, died March 27, 2015, at age 82. Professor emeritus and former chair of orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University, where he taught for many years, he later moved to Minneapolis-St. Paul, where he worked as a partner in Hennepin Faculty Associates at Hennepin County Medical Center before retiring. He pursued research on blood flow to bone, muscle and skin; epidemiology of scoliosis; epidemiology of lumbar laminectomies; and electrical bone growth stimulation in lumbosacral fusions. Dr. Kane served as president of the Scoliosis Research Society. He was a recipient of the Kappa Delta Award for Outstanding Research from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Himself a survivor of polio, he lived life to the fullest as an avid scuba diver, skier, and sailor. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, three daughters, two sons, a nephew to whom he donated a kidney, and six grandchildren.

Norman L. Kaplan, a retired psychiatrist who practiced in Manhattan for more than 40 years, died Nov. 14, 2014. Dr. Kaplan was a member of the psychiatry faculty at Albert Einstein Medical College and served as an assistant attending at New York Hospital, Payne Whitney Clinic. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and two daughters.

Norman Talal, a renowned immunologist and rheumatologist best known for his pioneering work on Sjögren’s syndrome and other autoimmune diseases, died April 24, 2015. Using experimental animal models, Dr. Talal and his team identified the role of female hormones in the development of autoimmune disorders. Focusing his attention on Sjögren’s syndrome, a condition that causes dryness of the eyes and mouth, his lab was the first to suspect and prove its link to more serious complications, including malignant lymphomas, life-threatening effects on the blood, and neurologic and kidney diseases. Among other encomia earned in the course of his career, Dr. Talal won the Philip Hench Award of the U.S. Public Health Service and the William S. Middleton Award of the Veterans Administration. He also received honorary doctorates in Europe and Japan. After spending more than a decade as a senior researcher in the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases (now the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic and Skin Diseases) at the NIH, he taught first at the University of California San Francisco, then as professor of medicine and microbiology and head of the Division of Clinical Immunology at the University of Texas in San Antonio. He was a passionate and discriminating art collector in his free time. Returning to New York in 2000, he co-taught courses on achieving wellness through the arts with his wife, the poet Dr. Marilynn Talal, who survives him. Other survivors include a daughter, a son, and a granddaughter.

1963
George S. Harell, a retired radiologist and former member of the faculty in the Department of Radiology at Stanford University, died Aug. 2, 2015. A native of Vienna, Austria, he immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 4. Dr. Harell formerly served as a researcher in the U.S. Army based at the viral carcinogenesis branch of the NIH. In his free time he was a noted collector of Indian stamps and authored a scholarly work on stamps and postal history of the Indian state of Poonch. He is survived by his wife, Carol, two sons, and three grandsons.

Albert C. Lesneski, a retired obstetrician and gynecologist, died April 8, 2015. He had a private practice and was affiliated with Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass. In the course of his career, he brought more than 5,000 babies into the world. Dr. Lesneski served in the U.S. Air Force. Following his retirement in 1998, he received a master’s degree in English literature, taught English at various small private schools, where he also coached swimming and baseball, and pursued his passion for gardening and restoring antique automobiles. Preceded in death by his first wife, Mary, he is survived by his second wife, Carol, two daughters, two sons, and five grandchildren.

1965
Retired ophthalmologist Eric H. Johnson died April 8, 2013. He was the founder of Eye Health Services in Boston. Upon his retirement he began a second career as a farmer in Dublin, N.H. He is survived by his wife, Mary.

Shirley N. Pan, a pediatrician, died Aug. 28, 2015. Born in Shanghai, China, Dr. Pan moved with her family to Hong Kong and came to the United States as a 16-year-old in 1957. Affiliated for much of her career with Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, Dr. Pan enjoyed caring for a multigenerational practice, often treating the children of patients she had cared for when they were young. Many of her patients were Chinese immigrants, with whom she communicated in fluent Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shanghainese. A world traveler in her free time, she also enjoyed tennis and pursued a passionate interest in archeology and history.

1969
William E. Crouch III, a cardiologist in private practice in Charleston, S.C., died Aug. 18, 2015. He loved sailing and bird watching. Dr. Crouch is survived by his wife, Rosalie, and a daughter.

1973
Daniel E. Wrobleski, director of colon and rectal surgery at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, R.I., died May 28, 2015. A member of the surgery faculty at Brown University School of Medicine, Dr. Wrobleski was the first colon and rectal surgeon in the state of Rhode Island. In his spare time he loved to sail. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Caroline S. Wikel, and a daughter.

1976
Kenneth H. Cohn, a member of the surgery faculty at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and chief of surgical oncology at the VA Hospital at White River Junction, N.H., died June 24, 2015. Dr. Cohn, who also held an MBA, served as CEO of Healthcare Collaboration, a company he founded. The company works with physicians and hospital leaders to improve clinical and financial performance. Dr. Cohn previously taught at SUNY Health Sciences Center in Brooklyn. He wrote or co-edited three books, his latest work being a medical mystery. Survivors include his wife, Diane, a daughter, and a son.

1982
Jonathan N. Aranoff, an anesthesiologist specializing in cardiac bypass surgery at the Manhattan VA Hospital, died April 27, 2015. He was 58. He is survived by his wife, Susana, and three sons.

2000
Elizabeth A. “Ellie” Paras, an emergency medicine specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, died of a massive stroke Dec. 4, 2014. She is survived by her husband, Chris Paraskevaides, and three daughters.

Other Alumni Deaths
Abraham Horvitz’36
Lawrence Withington’36
William MacGuire’41
Harold Unger’48
William Lucas’50
Willem Roosen’52
William Healey’56
Shirley Ann Morley’56
Jonathan Pincus’60
Thomas Williams’63