Robert Roy Kirby, M.D., Colonel, USAF, MC
Robert Roy Kirby, MD, Colonel, USAF, MC (retired) of Gainesville, Florida, died at his home on April 21, 2022, at the age of 84.
Dr. Kirby lived a full and productive life, serving his country and his profession. Born to Dewey and Nadine (Burnham) Kirby, in Kansas City, Kansas, on April 20, 1938. He was blessed with superior intellectual and analytical abilities and nurtured an insatiable interest in the field of anesthesia and critical care medicine.
He was raised in Oakland, California. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California Berkeley in 1960 and his medical degree from the University of California San Francisco in 1964.
He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1964 as a resident in anesthesia at Wilford Hall Medical Center. After completing his residency in 1968, he stayed on as a faculty member at the University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology. While at Wilford Hall, he was asked to serve on the Apollo 11 moon landing and was aboard the USS Hornet, a pick-up ship for the Apollo 12 mission (1969). In 1969, he participated in Texas Instrument research of the Doppler ultrasound for non-invasive blood pressure monitoring. This transformed blood pressure monitoring and other future ultrasound medical devices. In the early 1970s, he was instrumental in the research and development of ventilators specifically designed for children. The final product was called the “Baby Bird” ventilator, since the Bird Corporation was heavily involved in funding. Prior to the development of the Baby Bird, which revolutionized pediatric ventilation, infants and children were ventilated using adult ventilators that had been modified.
In 1970 he was reassigned to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, serving as chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology. He left the U.S. Air Force to join the faculty at the University of Florida in 1972 and was a pioneer in the development of Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation (IMV), Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), and Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP). These forever changed the way patients were ventilated and spurred interest in innovative ways to provide ventilatory support to future patients. In 1976, he moved his family to New Orleans, where he became the first chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at a newly built state-of-the-art hospital in New Orleans, Tulane Medical Center.
In 1982, he re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and moved to San Antonio, Texas. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1985. In 1985, he continued his professional career, moving to Gainesville, Florida, to work in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Shands Hospital. In 1995, he became chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at the VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida. He remained in that role until his retirement in 2006.
During his long and impressive career, he received many awards including:
– Forest M. Bird Lifetime Scientific Achievement
– Best Doctors in America, 2003
– Best Doctors in America, 2005
– Shubin-Well Award, 1996
– Haven M. Perkins Award, 1994
– Navy Achievement Medal
– Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
He was a member of many anesthesia and U.S. Air Force organizations. He participated as an examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology for several years. As a prolific author, he wrote dozens of books and hundreds of articles related to anesthesia, airway management, and critical care medicine. He loved dogs and horses, but his passion was cars, mostly Corvettes, NASCAR, and drag racing.
He influenced the lives of many doctors, nurses, and others because of his humor, knowledge, thoughtfulness, and consideration. More importantly, he was a loving and caring father, supporting all his children in their pursuit of higher education. Dr. Robert Roy Kirby led a highly successful and rewarding life. He was preceded in death by his sister, Rita Kirby, and Margret Engeron Kirby, his wife. He is survived by his daughter, Lisa Anne Kirby Berne, and her husband, Eric, son Christopher Robert Kirby, son Dr. David Scott Kirby, and his wife, Laura, and son Robert Ross Kirby. In addition, he leaves five grandchildren: Cooper Berne, Karyssa and Addison Kirby, and Caleb and Cole Kirby.
Dr. Robert Roy Kirby will be cremated, according to his wishes. A celebration of his life will be scheduled in the future.
For those wishing to make a charitable donation, please consider a gift to Doctors Without Borders.
Charles Parker Gibbs, MD
Emeritus professor Charles Parker Gibbs, MD, passed away on June 25, surrounded by his loving family under the care of Haven Hospice in Gainesville, FL. He was 84. Dr. Gibbs’ influence as a physician and educator left an indelible mark on the University of Florida College of Medicine and beyond as a leader of local and national organizations, a visiting professor to colleges across the globe, and a consultant for several national agencies.
Gibbs was born in 1936 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Bloomington before attending the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he received his medical degree and served as a resident in obstetrics and gynecology. Gibbs also completed an anesthesiology residency at the University of Miami School of Medicine in Miami; a surgical fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; and a National Institutes of Health research fellowship at the Nuffield Institute of Medical Research in Oxford, England.
In the late 1960s, Gibbs served for two years as an obstetrician-gynecologist with the U.S. Air Force at the Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle before joining the faculty at the UF College of Medicine.
Gibbs began his career at the College of Medicine in 1972 as an assistant professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also served six years as the college’s Assistant Dean for Curriculum. He then moved to Denver, where he began work at the University of Colorado and served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology from 1986 to 2000.
Gibbs’ impact on medical education at the UF College of Medicine lives on today in the lives and careers of the students he taught, and his efforts were officially commemorated in 1982 when the graduating class honored him with an “award for concern and efforts toward the improvement of medical education.”
In 2001, Gibbs transitioned to a courtesy clinical professor role for the Department of Anesthesiology, a position he maintained for the last two decades.
A former president of the Alachua County Medical Society and chair for several committees within the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Gibbs also served as a consultant for national entities like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Reproductive Health.
As a visiting professor, Gibbs traveled to campuses across the world, from Harvard Medical School to the University of New Mexico to the University of Sydney in Australia.
As a researcher and scholar, Gibbs presented papers and lectures internationally and contributed chapters to anesthesiology and obstetrics and gynecology textbooks printed throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Gibbs is survived by his wife, Sara Lynn, his three children: Parker (Micaela), of Gainesville, Florida; Eric (Lauren) of Orlando, Florida; and Gordon (Gina) of Ormond Beach, Florida; and his stepson Bill of Gainesville, Florida. He is also survived by his five loving grandchildren: Eric Jr.(Sarah), Stephen, Caroline, Alexandra, and Jillian, and his aging pup, Beauty.
Gibbs passed on his love of medicine to his son Charles Parker Gibbs Jr., MD, who currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for UF Health Shands, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at the UF College of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Director of the Orthopaedic Oncology Laboratory, and the Eugene L. Jewett Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Maria Irwin, MD, PhD
Maria Irwin, MD, PhD, of Gainesville, Florida died unexpectedly on April 30, 2020. She was born November 13, 1972 to Asiya and Viktor Klimin, in Borkuta, Russia, a small Russian mining town north of the Arctic Circle.
Maria was a truly gentle soul, a goal-focused woman, a phenomenal mother, a caring wife, a thoughtful friend, and a skilled, dedicated physician passionate about caring for her patients. Maria had the gift of making everyone she met feel special. She set both her personal and professional goals high.
Maria was an Assistant Professor in Anesthesiology for the divisions of Cardiothoracic and Pediatric Anesthesiology, and the Congenital Heart Center in the UF College of Medicine. She earned her medical degree in 1995 from St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy and her PhD in Clinical Toxicology from the Medical Academy of Postgraduate Studies in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 2006, Dr. Irwin completed her surgical internship at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, then her residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Florida in 2009 and fellowship in Combined Pediatric and Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2011.
As a child, Maria studied classical piano, which fostered a life-long passion for music. She was a gifted pianist and enjoyed studying violin with her sons, Peter and Andy. Maria enjoyed playing for family and friends, often accompanying the boys on the piano as they played their instruments. She loved to share her musical interests with others and after attending concerts, was ready with appropriately scathing or glowing critiques of the musicians.
In 2001, Maria immigrated to the United States and married Bob Irwin at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in February of 2002. They were both from St. Petersburgs, albeit across thousands of miles and oceans apart, in two different countries. Maria and Bob made their first home in Deland, Florida. Maria quickly acclimated to the Florida heat and enjoyed boating with Bob, savoring fresh-picked blueberries, and playing the piano while studying for the US medical licensing exams. They conquered the logistics of a long distance marriage during her internship year in Ohio, and moved together to Gainesville, Florida for her residency at the University of Florida. Her mother Asiya Klimina joined them from Russia as nanny to Peter, Maria and Bob’s first son. The family moved to Boston, MA during her fellowship, where their second son, Andy, was born. Despite her familiarity with the cold Russian winters, Maria was glad to return the family to the warmth of Gainesville in the summer of 2011. Maria celebrated acquiring her United States citizenship in 2008.
Maria’s passion for motherhood was demonstrated by the boundless love she poured into both of her sons. She shared many diverse interests with them, including music, languages and athletics. Maria was energetic in her personal pursuits as well, with interests in music, literature, politics and nutrition. In recent years, she honed her baking skills, using it as therapy to counterbalance the rigorous intensity of the operating room. She was renowned for her over-the-top desserts; regularly sharing her fabulous tarts and macarons with family, colleagues and friends. Most of all, Maria is remembered for her boundless generosity, thoughtfulness and energy. In every pursuit, personal and professional, she got the most out of every opportunity to live a full life.
Maria was preceded in death by her parents Asiya and Viktor Klimin. She leaves behind her husband, Bob Irwin and sons Peter and Andy, brother Yuri Klimin and his wife Jenny, niece Viktoria, nephew Sasha and so many friends and colleagues.
The family will hold a private service and follow this with a memorial at a later date when friends and colleagues can gather to share memories.
Jerome Modell, M.D., DSc. (Hon.)
Jerome Modell, M.D., D.Sc. (Hon.), passed away on April 14, 2020 after a brief hospitalization for a chronic illness. He was 87. His remarkable influence as a physician, teacher, researcher, administrator and generous philanthropist has left an indelible mark on University of Florida academic health center as well as throughout the world.
Born in Minnesota, Dr. Modell attended college and medical school at the University of Minnesota before serving in the U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1963 and concluding his military service as chief of anesthesiology at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Pensacola, Florida. At the University of Miami Department of Anesthesiology from 1963 to 1969, Dr. Modell developed his research interests caring for drowning victims and became the international expert in this field with publication of The Pathophysiology and Treatment of Drowning and Near-Drowning in 1971.
Dr. Modell served the University of Florida College of Medicine for more than 43 years before his retirement. In 1969, he was named chair of the department of anesthesiology, a position he held for 23 years. While anesthesiology chair, more than 400 residents and fellows graduated from the program; 15 went on to become chairs of medical school departments. Under his leadership, the department became recognized as one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious anesthesiology programs in the world. In his administrative roles with the UF College of Medicine, he served as special assistant to the dean for professional support services, senior associate dean for clinical affairs, executive associate dean and interim dean. Dr. Modell also served for five years as associate vice president for UF Health Science Center affiliations, during which he helped establish academic and clinical connections with major health care facilities statewide before retiring from administrative duties in 2000.
Retirement was just a launching pad for Dr. Modell, as he remained active at UF, volunteering three to four days a week to care for patients and teach students in the colleges of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. He was named professor emeritus of anesthesiology and courtesy professor of large animal clinical sciences and oversaw the Florida Board of Regents’ UF Self Insurance Program. His full retirement from UF came on Dec. 31, 2012.
Dr. Modell’s impact reached much farther than UF, as he was known worldwide for his discoveries related to the after-effects of near-drowning and the treatment of near-drowning victims. He and his colleagues also conducted the original research in demonstrating that mammals could breathe special oxygenated liquids and survive. He was one of the first in the country recognized as an intensivist, a physician specially trained in critical care. He and his colleagues made numerous contributions to developing unique equipment in the field of intensive pulmonary support. In 1975, Dr. Modell participated in medical exchange trips to the People’s Republic of China during rapprochement. In 1962 he was a member of the NASA Astronaut Recovery team for Project Mercury.
During his career, Dr. Modell received several awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists (2006) and faculty membership in Alpha Omega Alpha. He was awarded the UF President’s Medallion for Outstanding Service (2000), the Medal of Honor of Maatschappij tot Redding van Drenkelingen (The Society to Rescue People from Drowning) in 2002 and an honorary doctorate of science degree from the University of Florida in 2004. He delivered the American Society of Anesthesiology E.A. Rovenstine Memorial Lecture in 2004. The UF Department of Anesthesiology established an endowed professorship in his name.
Dr. Modell always encouraged scientific writing by his department members, who contributed to more than 2,700 papers, abstracts and book chapters during his tenure. He himself published prolifically in the peer-reviewed literature over seven decades from 1957 to 2011.
In the early 2000s, Dr. Modell was honored by two UF engineering centers for his help in laying the foundation to transform UF into a major center for surface science research — studies of how atoms and molecules at a surface act and react when they come in contact with each other. He recognized early on that the field would be of significance to biomedical research. He also assembled the team of physicians, engineers and computer scientists who developed and obtained a patent on the Human Patient Simulator at UF.
At the invitation of the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology, a foundation of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, Dr. Modell wrote an autobiography, published in 2000 by the ASA in the fourth volume of “Careers in Anesthesiology,” a series that is part of the library’s effort to preserve anesthesiology history.
Dr. Modell was a highly appreciated philanthropic partner to the university. He and his wife, Dr. Shirley Graves, M.D., D.Sc. (Hon.), who also was a longtime faculty member in the department of anesthesiology and established the division of pediatric anesthesiology and critical care medicine, have been generous supporters of a number of initiatives and have helped facilitate private gifts on behalf of others. They were instrumental in the Gravenstein Scholars program fundraising effort, the T.W. Andersen and Haven M. Perkins Educational Endowment and many other funds within the College of Medicine. The Jerome H. Modell Professorship currently is held by Dr. Nik Gravenstein, and recently, Dr. Modell’s longtime collaborator and colleague, Dinesh Shah, Ph.D., established the Jerome H. Modell, M.D.–Dinesh O. Shah, Ph.D. Annual Lecture in Anesthesiology by creating the endowed lectureship in Dr. Modell’s honor.
Dr. Modell was an avid horseman. He bred and showed winning multiple championships with his beautiful Morgan horses.
Dr. Modell is survived by his wife, Dr. Shirley Graves Modell; his cherished children, Charles Modell (Carol), Dr. Jack Modell (Judy), Julie Modell Abels; six grandchildren, Melissa Abels Klemenz (Dean), Randi Abels Eskanos (Jake), Matthew Modell, Jason Modell, Jennifer Modell Boyd (Kevin), Lindsey Modell Cavallaro (Mike) ; two great grandchildren, Elizabeth Rae Boyd and Madeleine Ann Klemenz; and longtime faithful employee and beloved friend, Stephen Joseph Poole. Dr. Modell cherished his family. He had many friends, both in the world of medicine and the horse industry.
In the eloquent words of Dr. Nik Gravenstein, the College of Medicine is visibly leaning a bit after losing one of its pillars.
Memorial gifts can be made to the Jerome H. Modell, M.D and Dinesh O. Shah, Ph.D. Endowed Lectureship. University of Florida Foundation, 1938 W. University Ave., Gainesville, FL 32603.
Carolyn Schoenau
(1932 – 2019)
Carolyn Schoenau, age 86 of Gainesville, FL passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. Carolyn was born in Gainesville on October 26, 1932, and is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 55 years, Ronald Schoenau, and sons, Michael Yeilding, Steven Yeilding, and Gregory Yeilding.
Carolyn had a long and distinguished career, winning many awards at the University of Florida Department of Anesthesiology where she was instrumental in establishing the administrative section of the department. After 29 years she retired in 1993 as Business Manager. She was focused, goal oriented, smiling, loyal, non-judgemental, vivacious, and an avid Gator fan.
Carolyn was beloved by her former colleagues. Marilyn Blackwell, who worked with Carolyn for many years, said of her, “We always called her the shoe lady because of her name. She had a good sense of humor. She was a good boss and a super person.”
Salvatore “Sam” Lo Palo, CRNA
Robert R. Kirby, MD, Professor Emeritus, and his wife, Margaret “Margie” Kirby have written in to let us here at UF Anesthesiology know of the passing of Salvatore “Sam” Lo Palo, CRNA. Margie wrote:
“When Robert and I met Sam, it was 1979 at Tulane University Medical Center where Robert was chairman of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. Sam was sent by the Air Force to recruit Robert back to active duty. Sam was then director of the Air Force School for Nurse Anesthetists. Robert went back into the Air Force as a colonel to chair the Air Force anesthesiologist training program. He and Sam worked very closely and they became best friends. They were more than friends – they shared love for the Air Force, too.
When Robert left the Air Force, he recruited Sam, who was retired from the Air Force, to UF. Sam spent his time at UF running the OR schedule. He also helped to reorganize the ER. Sam was born and raised in upstate New York and was an only child. He attended nursing and anesthesia school there. He married Dorothy, his nursing school sweetheart. He then joined the Air Force. He and Dorothy raised three children and four grandchildren. His military career was exemplary. He was a Vietnam veteran with multiple field anesthesia experiences, as well as a number of other duties. He was a colonel at retirement. He was a true patriot. Robert and I are honored to have had Sam as a true friend.”
Betty Lou Bottoms Grundy, MD
(1940-2017)
Dr. Betty Lou Bottoms Grundy, age 77 of Gainesville, passed away on Sunday, June 11, 2017 under the care of hospice.Dr. Grundy graduated from the University of Florida near the top of her class in 1963. She was one of the first women graduates from the College of Medicine.
After working in private and academic practice for many years, she returned to UF in 1984 as a professor of anesthesiology and founded the division of neurological anesthesiology. She focused her clinical and research interests on intraoperative neurological monitoring with funds from NIH, NATO, the VA, foundations and private industry.
Dr. Grundy worked tirelessly and was an important role model for women in medicine as a chair of anesthesiology in Oklahoma, as anesthesiology service chief at the Malcom Randall Veterans Administration Medical Center, as a senior board examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology and as a member or chair on countless professional society committees. She retired from the University in 1994.
Casey (Barbara) White, MD
(1952-2016)
Dr. Casey B. White ( Barbara-Ann Kirchoff) passed away December 12, 2016 after a brief illness with close family by her side. Casey (Barbara) will be remembered by her family and friends as a vivacious lover of life, loving mother, sister, cousin, aunt and devoted friend. She was the keeper of endless family memories, with a wonderful sense of humor and doting family unifier. Her devotion to family was unparalleled. She was a person of great warmth and enthusiasm who made everyone else’s life richer by knowing her. Casey loved traveling and was an accomplished amateur photographer capturing the essence of the cities and people she met as she traveled worldwide. She was also an avid runner and rower as a member of the Ann Arbor Rowing Club where she taught “Learn to Row” for many years. Casey was born in Queens, NY in 1952 the middle of three children of Peter and Kitty (Ducey) Kirchoff. The family lived across the United States and foreign countries before settling in Plainview, NY where she graduated from Holy Trinity DHS in Hicksville. After spending three years at the University of Miami Casey moved to Ann Arbor where she and Thomas Ogle had her only child Thomas (Toby) Ogle.
In Ann Arbor, she began a 30 year career with the University of Michigan working in the medical school library, Department of Medical Education and Medical School Dean’s Office supporting the medical education programs. While working full time she received a bachelor’s of arts degree in journalism from Eastern Michigan University and a doctor of philosophy degree in Education from the University of Michigan. During this time she married Stewart White who together had many close friends in Ann Arbor and shared an enthusiasm for University of Michigan sports. At the time of her death Casey was a Distinguished Harrison Associate Professor of Medical Education and Associate Dean for Medical Education Research and Instruction at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Previously Casey had been Assistant Dean for Medical Education and faculty in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Michigan until she retired in 2011. At Michigan she played prominent roles in three major revisions of the medical curriculum as well as multiple highly successful accreditation reviews of the Medical School. Professionally she will be remembered as a creative scholar who authored over 50 peer reviewed research articles related to medical education. She was well known for her dynamic and engaging faculty development workshops and innovative educational programs as she was passionate about shifting the landscape of medical education to ultimately improve the quality of care provided to patients.
After retiring from the University of Michigan Casey spent a brief time as faculty at the University of Florida College of Medicine where she collaborated with others in the use of virtual reality and simulation training to improve the quality of patient care. She was subsequently pursued vigorously by the University of Virginia Medical School to join their faculty as they revamped their medical education program. Many will remember Casey as a passionate mentor who would encourage all faculty and staff members regardless of their positions to challenge themselves, reach higher, dream bigger and assisted them doing just that. Her work with faculty on the medical curriculum will continue to have a major impact on the educational programs and training of future physicians.. Her zest for life, caring for others and spirit will be with us always. Published in Ann Arbor News on Jan. 15, 2017
Gregory M. Gullahorn, MD, FCCP, MC, USN
(1960-2016)
It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Captain Gregory M Gullahorn, MD, FCCP, MS, USN, born November 21, 1960. He passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. It is hard for us to express in words what a wonderful person Dr. Gullahorn was. He did so much good while he was here and touched so many lives. We are proud and fortunate to have had him in our lives. Dr, Gullahrn was preceded by his father John T. Gullahorn and is survived by his wife of 33 years, Kathy, nee Carlson, his two children, Annika and Britta, his mother, Jeanne, his sister, Leslie Olson and her husband, Charlie, his sister, Laurie Thibodeau, her husband, Ricky, and their children, his niece and nephew, Juliette and Jonathan.
Dr. Gullahorn was born in Lansing, Michigan on November 21, 1960, where he spent the majority of his childhood, interspersed with sabbaticals to Wales and Virginia. After graduating from East Lansing High School, he attended Michigan State University. He earned his medical degree from Northwestern Medical School and completed his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Florida. Dr. Gullahorn followed his residency with a fellowship in critical care medicine. He was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, received multiple academic awards, and graduated with distinction. He and his wife moved to San Diego, where they raised two exceptional daughters who are now in college at Syracuse University and Boston College. He was a loving father, always supporting and encouraging his children to love life and pursue their dreams.
Dr. Gullahorn joined the Navy in 1982 and advanced to the rank of Captain in 2004. He earned numerous awards and commendations for his excellent work and service. He served in Somalia in 1992 and in Landstuhl, Germany in 2008. He was an educator at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and was appointed Department Chair of Anesthesiology in 2011. He also sat on the Board of Directors for the California Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Gullahorn cared deeply not only for his patients, but also for public and global health overall. He volunteered his time and his service to Operation Smile in Moscow and Vietnam, as well as the Mercy Outreach Surgical Team. He was a truly incredible person who always brought happiness, smiles, and laughter to all of those around him. He was extremely bright and exceedingly humble. He cared much more about the work he was doing for others than for receiving recognition for it. He was loving, gentle, and kind. He inspired those around him. He had a lovely sense of calmness and patience, finding a silver lining in any situation.
We are so fortunate to have had the honor to share in such a wonderful, fun-loving, and generous life, and he will always remain forever in our hearts and our smiles. We are better people for having him in our lives.
Annette Pashayan, MD
(1953-2016)
Annette Pashayan, MD, passed away after a lengthy illness at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home on October 3, 2016. She was surrounded by loving family and her dog, Fritz.
Dr. Pashayan was born in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, June 25, 1953, to Serge and Annette Grynkewich. She finished high school a year early in the eleventh grade at Moravian Seminary for Girls to attend Lafayette College, where she met the love of her life, Mark Pashayan, MD, and they were married after graduation, on June 8, 1974. Both attended Bowman Gray School of Medicine, graduating in 1978. Dr. Pashayan completed a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Florida and a fellowship in neuroanesthesiology at UF and the Mayo Clinic. She was also an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the UF Department of Anesthesiology. She loved clinical medicine, and was very involved in teaching and research before becoming ill in 1994. The family relocated to Winston-Salem in 1995. After a period of recuperation, Annette worked in the Department of Anesthesiology at Bowman Gray School of Medicine and joined the Anesthesiology faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001. In 2005, she entered private practice in Greensboro. She retired from Gate City Anesthesia in 2012 when the progression of her illness made it impossible for her to continue to work.
Dr. Pashayan’s childhood study of music led to a lifelong “second career” as a singer. She studied voice for many years and sang as a soloist with various church choirs, as well as with the Robert Shaw Festival Chorale for three seasons at Carnegie Hall. She sang locally with the Piedmont Chamber Singers, the Bel Canto Company, St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Centenary United Methodist Church, and St. Anne’s Episcopal Church. During her extensive medical care, Dr. Pashayan began writing poetry, and through her work, she obtained a grant from the Winston-Salem Arts Council to commission a composer to set them to music. The result of this collaboration with Israeli composer, Ella Milch-Sheriff, was a song cycle for mezzo-soprano and string quartet, “Songs from the Edge.” The piece was premiered at the Chautauqua Institution Main Stage in 2006 and has had performances in Israel, Virginia, and Winston-Salem. It will have a European Premiere in Vienna in September 2017.
Dr. Pashayan is survived by her husband, Mark; sons Charles and Alexander and their wives, Andrea and Melissa; her brothers Gary and Serge; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is very grateful for the care she received from the oncologists and radiation oncologists at the University of Florida and Wake Forest Baptist Health. Dr. Pashayan was cared for by many wonderful nurses, clinical assistants, and administrative staff.
Her entire family is grateful for the help of friends, relatives, church family, and most recently, the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home, where her final days were made comfortable for all. (Published in Gainesville Sun from Oct. 6 to Oct. 7, 2016)
Ronald (Ronnie) Freeman, MD
(1962-2016)
Ronald (Ronnie) Freeman, age 53 of Gainesville, Florida passed away Wednesday, August 10, 2016. He was born September 30, 1962 in Vereeniging, South Africa to Daniel and Johanna Elizabeth (Martins) Freeman.
Ronnie earned his medical degree at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He came to the United States in 1993 to study and travel. He completed his internship at the University of Kentucky, an anesthesiology residency at the University of Alabama, and a critical care fellowship at the University of Florida. After some years in South Africa and in Alabama he moved back to Gainesville in 2008. At the time of his death he was employed at the Orthopedic Institute. Ronnie was a huge rugby fan, and loved cheering on the Lions and the Springboks. He was at his happiest in the outdoors with his family by his side. Ronnie was compassionate and always brought a laugh to any gathering. He will be missed by all who knew him, most of whom would probably have a funny story to tell about him. Ronnie was a member of Westside Baptist Church.
Ronnie is survived by his wife of 24 years, Esmelda, and their three children, Daniel Freeman, Sara Freeman, and Asha Freeman, and his brother, Adrian Freeman. (Published in Gainesville Sun from Aug. 14 to Aug. 15, 2016)
Brad Nelden Brian, MD
(1975 – 2014)
Brad Brian, was taken unexpectedly from this life in an airplane accident on Wednesday, May 7, 2014. Brad was a dreamer, and he usually found a way to make his dreams a reality, a quality that his wife will be endeared with forever. Brad had dreamed of becoming a pilot and flying nearly his entire life, and with the encouragement of his wife, was finally living his dream. Brad was passionate about many things and had a tremendous love for learning. He loved to be adventurous and try new things. He loved business opportunities, was a natural leader and passionate about his career as an Anesthesiologist; he loved his family more than words can express.
Brad grew up in Loa, Utah and loved the beauty of Wayne County, but he always knew life held adventures and opportunities in other places where he influenced many lives along the way. After graduating from Wayne High School in 1993, he attended Southern Utah University for one year before serving a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Brazil Salvador South Mission. After returning from Brazil, he attended SUU for one more year before transferring to Utah State University. There he continued his studies in Electrical Engineering and Business and also started dating his long time friend and the one true love of his life, Camille Torgerson, whom he later married in the Manti LDS Temple for time and eternity in May of 1999. He often reminded his wife that he had loved her since the time they were in the same first grade class together and knew that someday they would be together. Brad graduated from USU with Bachelor’s Degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Business in 2001. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Bioengineering and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Utah in 2003. He loved the opportunities that came from being involved with the University Venture Fund and the Lassonde Entrepreneur Center during this time. He reached his highest goal of academic achievement when he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 2007 from the University of Utah. Upon graduation, Brad accepted a position for his medical residency in Anesthesiology at the in Gainesville. He was mentored by many colleagues there and himself became a mentor to others as he filled a position as a Chief Resident during his fourth year of residency. A highlight of his time in Florida was serving on the physician team for the NASA flight crew and being able to witness the thrill of shuttle launches and landings up close. Brad and Camille cherished the four years they spent in Florida and will forever be grateful for the experiences they had there together. Brad was thrilled to have landed his dream job when he joined Mountain West Anesthesia and began working at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah, in the summer of 2011.
Brad was 38 years old and leaves behind his wife, Camille, and their four beautiful children, Kaitlyn (12), Landon (9), Cammi (5), and Connor (4), all of St. George, who adore him and will miss him tremendously; his parents: Robert and Edra Brian of Loa; brothers: Gary and Monica Brian and their children, Heston, JaCee and Jentry; Troy and Brenda Brian and their children, Alexis and Regan; all of Loa; his father and mother-in-law: Burke and Barbara Torgerson of Lyman; and brothers and sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews.
He will be dearly missed by his neighbors, his patients and colleagues at Dixie Regional Medical Center, and his many family members and friends. (Published in Salt Lake Tribune on May 14, 2014)
David A. Paulus, MD
David A. Paulus, MD, the beloved, gap-toothed anesthesiologist, son of Marian and Henry Paulus and baker of maple syrup apple pies, died at his home in Gainesville on December 12, 2012. He was 67. Quite appropriately to those who knew him, Dr. Paulus died of a big heart.
While a youth in Burlington, Vermont, Dr. Paulus enjoyed cross-country skiing, canoeing, and constructing rockets, which he shot through the windows of the neighboring elderly. Never convicted, he earned a BS and an MS in mechanical engineering from, respectively, the University of Vermont in 1968 and the University of Wisconsin in 1970. While working as a General Electric wunderkind, Dr. Paulus stopped short of completing his PhD in mechanical engineering, switching careers to medicine. He graduated from UVM College of Medicine in 1976, interned at the University of Kentucky in 1977, and completed his residency in anesthesia at the University of Florida in 1979. He met his future wife Louise, a training nurse anesthetist, in the hallways of Shands Hospital while still a resident and wooed her by freezing her dinner in liquid nitrogen and tossing it short to shatter at her feet. They married soon after on June 16, 1979, and settled in Gainesville. Dr. Paulus completed a cardiac anesthesia fellowship in 1980.
Over his thirty-five years as a Shands anesthesiologist, Dr. Paulus built a reputation for steadfast loyalty to colleagues and patients, showing especial grace with terminally sick children, teaching them how to clamp off surgical tubing to make water guns. With Dr. J.S. Gravenstein, his mentor, and Dr. Nik Gravenstein, Dr. Paulus designed and taught a course for engineers and marketing personnel on anesthesia products to improve patient safety. As well as being a professor at UF College of Medicine, he lectured at UF’s Levin College of Law, College of Public Health and Health Professions, and Warrington College of Business and held visiting professorships across the country. His numerous positions included Associate Chair for the Anesthesiology Department’s clinical care, Medical Director of Shands OR and HomeCare, Shands HealthCare Board Member, AMA’s Council on Medical Education and Science Chair, Alachua County Medical Association President, and member of the Florida Medical Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Society for Technology in Anesthesia, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Societies.
Dr. Paulus also won the Quality Award Certificate of Merit from the Society for Ambulatory Care Professionals, the Society of Authors and the Royal Society of Medicine Book Award, and the Physician Customer Service Recognition Award from Shands. In addition, he authored and edited six books and twenty book chapters, co-authored thirty papers in peer-reviewed journals, and lectured around the world. Dr. Paulus also took great pride in his role designing the operating rooms in the Shands South Tower. His work was so well regarded for its meticulous precision, he’d been asked to help design the new ASA headquarters in Chicago.
Dr. Paulus lived for service, for his family, his patients, his colleagues, and his hospital, working tirelessly to ensure the latter functioned as he knew it should. He woke up every morning delighted to care for us all.
Dr. Paulus is survived by his brother, Dr. Richard Paulus, sister Judy Myers, several nephews, his loving wife Louise, and their three children, Eric, Matthew, and Lizzie, who he let get away with anything. His laugh and uproarious sneeze are dearly missed.
Joachim S. “Nik” Gravenstein, MD
(1925-2009)
Joachim S. Gravenstein, MD, age 83, graduate research professor emeritus, Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Florida, died at home Friday, January 16, 2009.
Born January 25, 1925, in Berlin, Germany; he married Alix, his wife of 59 years, on August 27, 1949. He graduated from University of Bonn and Harvard Medical Schools, and led an exemplary and prolific career in anesthesiology. He was the founding member and chief, and then chairman of the University of Florida’s anesthesia department 1958-1969, and director of the Department of Anesthesiology at Case Western Reserve University 1969-1979. He returned to the University of Florida as graduate research professor 1979-2009. He was a pioneer and international leader in improving patient safety in anesthesiology, founding and serving on the Patient Safety Foundation and the Institutional Review Board for human subjects protection at the U of F, and other organizations dedicated to improving patient safety and anesthesia. He inspired many as a mentor and by example with his integrity, character, courtesy and intellectual curiosity. “Va” is loved and survived by his wife, 8 children and their spouses, 16 grandchildren, and the many friends who became part of his extended family. (Published in the Gainesville Sun January 20-24, 2009 )
Donate to the Joachim S. Gravenstein Professorship in Anesthesiology Fund
Haven M. Perkins, MD
(1916-2000)
Dr. Haven M. Perkins was born June 2, 1916, in Rainelle, West Virginia. He earned his M.D. degree from the University of Louisville. In 1959, he was appointed as the first resident in the newly formed Division of Anesthesiology at the University of Florida, College of Medicine. The trio of J. S. Gravenstein, M.D., Chairman, Thorkild W. Andersen, M.D., Professor, and Haven M. Perkins, M.D., Resident, comprised the entire Department of Anesthesiology in its infancy. It was through their lifelong leadership, dedication and expertise as clinicians, teachers, and mentors that formed the roots of our department which now has grown into one of international stature.
Perk served many roles at the University of Florida, including being the Chief of Anesthesiology at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital, Acting Chief of the Department of Surgery at the Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center, and thought of as a father figure by all of his younger faculty colleagues, residents, and students. Affection for his students was evident as he referred to them as “sons” and “daughters,” and the students referred to him as “Papa Perk”, who would not only provide them with a superb education in the field of anesthesiology, but who was always available to consult with as a father figure as they went through the maturation process–both personally and professionally.
Perk retired in 1993 and passed away in 2000. The University of Florida was certainly unique and privileged to have benefited from having Perk as one of its founding fathers.
Donate to the T. W. Andersen, M.D. and Haven Perkins, M.D. Educational Endowment
Thorkild W. Andersen, MD
(1921-1994)
Thorkild, W. Andersen, a professor emeritus at the University of Florida, died of cancer Thursday. He was 73 years old.
Dr. Andersen joined the UF Faculty in 1959 and was a professor emeritus in the Department of Anesthesiology until his death. Dr. Andersen was born in Denmark and studied medicine and received his doctorate degree from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark in 1947.
In 1951, he was invited to join the department of Anesthesia at Massach
usettes General Hospital in Boston, where he became an instructor in anesthesia at Harvard Medical School. In 1959, he joined the faculty of the College of Medicine at the University of Florida as the second member of the Division of Anesthesia in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Andersen was the director of Nurse Anesthesia Training Program of the Department of Anesthesiology from 1966 to 1977 and was the acting director of the department in 1969.
He was voted Outstanding Teacher by the anesthesiology residents from 1959 to 1978. Dr. Andersen became a Professor Emeritus with the Department of Anesthesiology in 1987. He was a member of the American Medical Association, the Florida Medical Association, the Alachua County Medical Society and the Academy of Anesthesiology.
Survivors include his wife, Lillian Andersen of Gainesville; four sons, Torsten, Niels, Lars and Ib; a sister, Bitten Christensen of Copenhagen and five grandchildren.
Donate to the T. W. Andersen, M.D. and Haven Perkins, M.D. Educational Endowment