In Memoriam

’56 M.D. — Paul Fordham Nugent Jr. of Xenia, Ohio, April 6, 2024; surgery. Dr. Nugent joined the Air Force in 1956, attaining the rank of colonel and flight surgeon. He served in many places throughout his career including England, Washington, Vietnam and Dayton, Ohio. He was involved in Project Gemini as a medical monitor, checking vitals when the spacecraft flew overhead. He was the son and grandson of doctors who practiced on Long Island, N.Y.

’56 M.D. — Warren H. Higgins Jr. of San Diego, Feb. 16, 2024; psychiatry. Dr. Higgins completed an internship and residency in Syracuse, N.Y. He went on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, accepting an assignment in Wiesbaden, Germany, from 1960 to 1964. From 1964 to 1966, he was stationed at March Air Force Reserve Base in California. Dr. Higgins joined the San Diego County mental health service in 1966, eventually becoming head of adult mental health services before retiring in 1986. Family was the most important part of his life, including his wife of 69 years, Sandy, his five children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

’56 M.D. — J. Alan Berkenfield of La Jolla, Calif.; Jan. 4, 2024; surgery. Dr. Berkenfield was born in New York and received his degrees from Cornell University and Cornell Medical School. He did his surgical residency at Bellevue Hospital in New York. He served more than 10 years in the U.S. Navy, beginning his service a year before the end of World War II. He was recalled to active duty as a doctor at the start of the Korean War and deployed to Japan, and then to Korea as a battlefield surgeon. After his discharge from active duty, Dr. Berkenfield and his young family made their permanent home in La Jolla, where he opened his medical practice. He was a surgeon at the original Scripps Memorial Hospital on Prospect Street in La Jolla, and later at “the new” Scripps Memorial Hospital on Genesee. Trained as a general surgeon and hand surgeon, he later augmented his skills in bariatric surgery. He was also a founding surgical member of the Scripps trauma surgical staff. He loved medicine and was devoted to helping people. He volunteered for the Flying Samaritans and provided medical services at clinics in Mexico. On one of these trips to a small village, he treated a young girl who had been badly burned. He saved her life and later legally adopted Rosita as his fourth daughter. He is survived by his loving wife, Patty; his brother John; children Scott, Marci, Liz and Leslie; 14 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

’56 M.D. — George E. Owen of Eau Claire, Wis.; June 8, 2021. Born in Hannibal, Mo., on June 27, 1931, George and his brother Bill were the product of tough love and hard work. As he was a good student, his college professors in Missouri convinced him to apply to what is now Weill Cornell Medicine. For small-town George, this new world as a New York City medical resident was exhilarating. He had a taste of the big city pleasures — symphonies, plays and his unexpected favorite, ballet. There, he met his wife and lifelong love, Janet Mitchell, a fellow Midwesterner. After moving for his medical internship and residency and the birth of Holly and Tim, he was courted in 1963 by Midelfort Clinic in Eau Claire. There, Chris was born, and they happily made their home in Eau Claire for the rest of their lives. For Dr. Owen, patients and their symptoms were always a challenging and exciting problem to solve. He was encouraged and trusted to be the “resident expert” in various fields — cardiology, infectious disease and gerontology — until a specialist in that field came to town. There are many stories about lives saved by Dr. Owen’s proper diagnosis and resulting treatment. He is survived by his children Holly (Fresno, Calif.), Tim (Eau Claire) and Chris (Duluth/Bayfield), their spouses and four grandchildren. He leaves behind many former patients and colleagues who appreciated his friendship and his service to the community.

’58 M.D. — Frederick D. Bergen of Petersburg, Va., April 7, 2021; thoracic surgery. Dr. Bergen completed a residency and fellowship training in general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at Wake Forest University, then joined the medical staff at Petersburg General Hospital as the first member to be board certified in vascular and thoracic surgery. Soon after, he performed the first implantation of a cardiac pacemaker at that hospital. Widely known as a gifted surgeon with an extremely high aptitude for diagnostic accuracy until his retirement in 1997, Dr. Bergen was involved in multiple medical societies and supported his community through the Rotary Club. He had a wide variety of interests, including golfing, hunting, skiing and aviation, but he will be remembered for putting his family first.

’58 M.D. — John T. Chard of Brattleboro, Vt., April 8, 2023; surgeon. Husband of state Sen. Nancy Chard, D-Windham, and a well-respected orthopedic surgeon at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital for 46 years, Dr. Chard completed a surgical residency at the University of Rochester and then entered the U.S. Air Force, serving as a captain on active duty at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey from 1959-1962. He returned to Rochester in 1963, where he completed an orthopedic surgery residency. The founding partner of Orthopedic Associates of Brattleboro, Dr. Chard served as president of the Vermont State Medical Society in 1999 and was involved in his local community in many capacities. A dedicated medical professional who deeply cared for his community and state, he enjoyed skiing, white water canoeing, camping and gardening.

’58 M.D. — Ann Huston Kazarian of Southington, Conn., Dec. 22, 2023; anesthesiology and psychiatry. Dr. Kazarian served as chief resident and then attending physician in anesthesiology at then-New York Hospital from 1960 to 1967. She then completed a second residency in psychiatry at the Institute of Living and a third residency at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System before establishing a private practice in psychiatry specializing in women with mental illness, which she maintained until 2005. She was married to the late Edward Vahan Kazarian and had two children and three grandchildren. Dr. Kazarian loved her family, reading, the weather and her husband’s favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

’63 M.D. — Arthur John Atkinson Jr. of Richland, Mich., Feb. 24, 2024; internal medicine. Dr. Atkinson completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and became a clinical associate at the NIH. He then spent the next 24 years at Northwestern Medicine, where he founded the clinical pharmacology research training program before joining Upjohn, a pharmaceutical company, where he was corporate vice president of clinical development and medical affairs. Dr. Atkinson was recruited back to the NIH to start a clinical pharmacology training program. Recently and up to his passing, Dr. Atkinson served as chief scientific officer for Proletariat Therapeutics. Co-author of the textbook (now in its 4th edition) “Atkinson’s Principles of Clinical Pharmacology,” Dr. Atkinson was an avid sailor, opera enthusiast and devoted husband.

’65 M.D. — Richard M. Hirata of Gaithersburg, Md., May 29, 2024; otolaryngology. An alumnus of West Point, the United States Military Academy, Dr. Hirata completed an internship and residency in general surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and then served as commanding officer and surgeon at the 43rd Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea. Returning to WRAMC, Dr. Hirata completed a fellowship in head and neck surgery, then served as assistant chief and chief of the general surgery service and head and neck surgery at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center for six years before returning to WRAMC. After 23 years of military service, Dr. Hirata retired from the army in 1981, entering into private practice near Baltimore. He served as president of the Baltimore County Medical Association and as a member of the Maryland Board of Physicians. He enjoyed time with his family and was active in his church. He is survived by his wife, their four children, their spouses and seven grandchildren.

’71 M.D. — Ivan Stewart Login of Charlottesville, Va., June 3, 2024; neurology. Following postgraduate training at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center, Dr. Login joined the University of Virginia (UVA) as a neurologist, launching a nearly 40-year career as a top-class physician, researcher and educator. In the mid-’70s, he also served two years in the U.S. Navy in Charleston, S.C., before returning to UVA. He loved teaching neurology, seeing patients and researching. He was widely published and received many awards. He patented a pituitary cell and co-created a successful app for neuro-ophthalmology.

Dr. Login loved music, woodworking, photography, travel and gardening. He was a true family man and adored his wife, Marsha, his daughters and his granddaughters.

’73 M.D. — W. Michael Scheld of Earlysville, Va., April 2, 2024; infectious disease. Dr. Scheld completed his postgraduate training at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, eventually joining the faculty. He had a distinguished 40-year career serving as the Bayer-Gerald L. Mandell Professor of Infectious Diseases and Neurosurgery until his retirement in 2019. Dr. Scheld contributed more than 300 peer-reviewed publications to the literature, edited more than 15 books and served on the editorial boards of several journals. The 2017 recipient of the Weill Cornell Medicine Alumni Association Award of Distinction, Dr. Scheld was president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in 2003, a founding member of the Academic Alliance for AIDS Care and Prevention in Africa, and served as director of the Pfizer Initiative in International Health. Dr. Scheld was a devoted husband and father.

’77 M.D. — Paul Lachiewicz of Chapel Hill, N.C., May 5, 2024; orthopedic surgery. Dr. Lachiewicz spent 26 years in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of North Carolina, where he rose to become a full professor. Passionate about patient care, education and clinical research in total hip and knee replacement surgery, he became a consulting professor at Duke University’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. His academic career included more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and numerous national and international presentations. He was a dedicated grandfather, father and husband, having met his wife, Ave, at Weill Cornell Medical College.

’73 M.D. — Joseph A. Putrino of Orange, N.J., June 14, 2023; radiology. While many referred to him as Dr. Putrino, his most cherished names were Dad and Grandpa. He was known as a “gentle giant” who loved with grace and whose faith sheltered him from every storm. His family was his anchor, and his love from them always brought him back home.

WCGS

’74 Ph.D. — Arthur Cooper of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., May 30, 2024; biochemistry and structural biology. Dr. Cooper was a professor emeritus of biochemistry and molecular biology at New York Medical College; a member of Touro University, in Valhalla, N.Y.; editor-in-chief of the journal Analytical Biochemistry; and adjunct professor of biochemistry in neuroscience in the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine. He consulted with the Orentreich Foundation in Cold Spring, as well as with other scientists. A graduate of London University and Imperial College in London, he also received an honorary D.Sc. from London University given by Princess Anne in 1986. He specialized in the workings of metabolic enzymes and was passionate about his work, resulting in many publications that scientists worldwide are still quoting. Dr. Cooper loved gardening, running and his family. He had been working on an autobiography over the past year and had completed 11 chapters.

Faculty

Daniel Gardner, Ph.D., of New York, April 10, 2024; professor of physiology and biophysics. Dr. Gardner joined the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in 1973 and had been a tenured full professor since 1989. His profound love and enthusiasm for science and a longtime dedication to education permeated his academic career and drove his many contributions to the department and the institution to the highest levels. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Dr. Esther Gardner, and two children, Benjamin and Deborah. He is remembered for his love of science, dedication to Esther and his children, a strong moral compass, passion for teaching, wry sense of humor, left/progressive politics, encyclopedic knowledge and love of classical music.

Bruce Gordon, M.D., of New York; March 25, 2024; professor of clinical medicine. Dr. Gordon received his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine and served as intern, resident and assistant chief resident at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He also completed a fellowship in hematology at Weill Cornell. Dr. Gordon was executive vice president and director of strategy at The Rogosin Institute, a member of the arteriosclerosis council of the American Heart Association and a member of the International Society for Apheresis. His clinical interest in lipid disorders led to his groundbreaking work in the development of numerous therapies for hyperlipidemia, including lipid apheresis. His expertise was particularly beneficial for salvaging kidney allografts undergoing kidney antibody-mediated rejection and thrombotic microangiopathy. Dr. Gordon’s remarkable clinical contributions were rivaled only by his renowned strengths as a teacher. He is survived by his wife, Stasi Lubansky, D.N.P., a nurse practitioner at Weill Cornell Internal Medical Associates, and their three children: William, a graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College, Julia and Emily.

Joe Qiao Zhou, Ph.D., of New York; June 11, 2024; associate professor of regenerative medicine. Dr. Zhou was recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine in 2019 and was a founding member of the Hartman Institute for Therapeutic Organ Regeneration, as well as a faculty member of the Weill Cornell Graduate School’s BCMB Allied program. His lab pioneered efforts to identify proteins that program cells to develop into key gut cell types. His breakthroughs included reprogramming pancreatic or stomach cells into insulin-secreting cells to treat type 1 diabetes, and turning small intestine cells into large intestine cells, and vice versa, with a goal of repairing intestinal damage. With his passion for pursuing bold new treatments for diabetes, Dr. Zhou received funding from the Weill Cornell Medicine Daedalus Fund and the 2023 Biomedical Business Plan Challenge. Beyond being a great scientist, he was an incredible colleague and collaborator and an all-around wonderful person.