In Memoriam

Faculty

Gary M. Brittenham, MD, former chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology at Columbia, and the James A. Wolff Professor of Pediatrics, died Dec. 23, 2024.

Daniel William Powers Morrissey, chaplain, faculty associate in the Center for Bioethics, assistant clinical professor in the School of Public Health, and assistant vice president for health services, died Dec. 20, 2024.

Alumni

1956

Donald T. Dubin, a founding member of the Department of Microbiology at Rutgers Medical School, died Feb. 28, 2022. He was 89. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he attended Harvard and later taught and conducted research at Harvard, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute for Medical Research in London. He published more than 90 papers, with significant contributions in the fields of antimicrobial resistance, RNA modification, and the transmission of HIV. An avid golfer, he retired to the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Dubin was survived by three daughters and three grandchildren.

1958

Thomas Q. Morris, who held multiple leadership roles at Columbia and Presbyterian Hospital, including interim chair of the Department of Medicine, vice dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, and associate dean of academic affairs, died Dec. 28, 2024. He was 91. After serving as president and CEO of Presbyterian Hospital, today known as NewYork-Presbyterian, from 1985 to 1990, Dr. Morris was vice president for program at the New York Academy of Medicine. He returned to Columbia in 1994 to focus on advancing educational programs. Dr. Morris was awarded numerous honors during his career at Columbia and retired as Alumni Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine in 2003. An endowment was established to support an annual symposium in Dr. Morris’ name at Columbia to explore the future of medical education. He continued to contribute to the Columbia community long after his retirement, including chairing the medical school’s magazine editorial board until 2021. During his time as president of Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Morris helped grow the hospital’s reach across Northern Manhattan communities, leading to the establishment in 1988 of what is today known as NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital. (See “Tom Morris: A Life Well Lived”)

1960

Douglas Holsclaw Jr., who dedicated his career to patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), died July 25, 2024. He was 89. Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, he graduated from the University of Arizona and began his medical education at Columbia, where he was drawn to pediatrics and trained with Dorothy Andersen, who gave CF its name. He continued his training with an internship at the University of Chicago, followed by a pediatric residency at the University of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He served as a Navy pediatrician in Oakland, California, and later completed a fellowship at Harvard University, Boston Children’s Hospital. In 1970, Dr. Holsclaw became director of the CF Center at Hahnemann Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he was a professor of pediatrics and medicine, and in 2000 moved to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine CF Center, from which he retired at age 84. He served as an adviser to the national Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for several decades. Beyond medicine, he was a music lover, as well as an accomplished pianist, and an avid art collector. Dr. Holsclaw is survived by his children, Douglas III and Alyx.

1967

James David Biles III, who specialized in urologic cancers, died Sept. 12, 2024. He was 83. A fourth-generation physician born in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Biles graduated from Yale University and later completed his surgical internship at Charity Hospital, Tulane School of Medicine, and his residency at the Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was accepted into the American Urological Association and was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Biles served for two years as an army major at Edgewood Arsenal conducting research before becoming one of the founding partners of Anne Arundel Urology. Serving the needs of his patients for over 40 years, Dr. Biles was also passionate about his family and sailing, settling in Annapolis, Maryland, so he could race on the Chesapeake Bay. He is survived by his wife, Brenda Lee Catterton; three children; and six grandchildren.

1968

Clinician-Scientist and Medical Pioneer Daniel S.J. Choy, MD, CC'44, VP&S'49, and Rhea B. Choy Honor Columbia University With $7.5 Million Bequest

Daniel S.J. Choy, MD, Columbia College’44 and VP&S’49, and Rhea B. Choy included Columbia University in their estate planning to provide critical funding for Columbia University. This contribution will make a great impact at Columbia across multiple programs including the college and at the medical school. Their generosity will help fund scholarships, research, and clinical care within the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and the broader medical center, and programs at the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.

Mrs. Choy graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1966. Dr. Choy specialized in internal medicine and oncology and made significant contributions to medical science. During his time in the U.S. Air Force, he participated in early rocketry experiments and in 1952 invented Aeroplast, a dressing for burns and wounds. His other important inventions, some in collaboration with colleagues, include laser coronary angioplasty, angiogenesis in the mammalian heart, a left ventricular assist device requiring no thoracotomy, percutaneous laser disc decompression for treating herniated discs, and experiments on new treatments for tinnitus. Dr. Choy is an accomplished author, with books including “Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression: A Practical Guide,” as well as “Choy’s Luck” and “Trouble-shooter,” which chronicle the life journey of his father and his own career path within the medical profession.

We are deeply grateful for Dr. and Mrs. Choy’s exceptional legacy of support, which is a meaningful tribute to Dr. Choy’s alma mater.

Richard “Dick” Milstein, who served in private practice in New Jersey for more than 40 years, died Oct. 26, 2024. He was 84. Having grown up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Milstein attended Yale University. He later interned at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital and was a urologic resident at the Medical College of Virginia. It was after serving in the Navy from 1973 to 1975 that he entered private practice in New Jersey. He was affiliated with West Jersey Hospital and Underwood Memorial Hospital and was co-director of the Mid-Atlantic Stone Center. Dr. Milstein is survived by his wife, Nancy, and their three children and eight grandchildren, as well as extended family.

1970

Anthony Dunster Whittemore, a vascular surgeon and professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, died Aug. 14, 2024. He was 79. Born in Boston, he graduated from Trinity College in 1966. After graduating medical school, he was named chief surgical resident at Columbia-Presbyterian. Following his vascular surgery fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he was commissioned into the Navy, serving as chief of vascular surgery for the 6^th Fleet in Portsmouth, Virginia. Dr. Whittemore joined the medical staff at Brigham and was appointed an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. He remained affiliated with Brigham for the rest of his professional life, rising to chief medical officer. In retirement, he continued to serve his lifelong interests in sailing and skiing. Dr. Whittemore is survived by Rhodie, his wife of 58 years, along with their three children and seven grandchildren.

1971

George M. Lazarus, gifted pediatrician and beloved teacher, died Jan. 20, 2025. He was 78. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he graduated from Yale College and later was named chief resident at Babies Hospital at Columbia- Presbyterian. He spent two years as a major in the U.S. Air Force stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He also dedicated more than 20 years of service to the New York Police Department as an honorary police surgeon. For more than 40 years, he treated patients in private practice and served as an attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian. He was particularly devoted to the students at VP&S, where he served on the admissions committee, and his annual parties for admitted students were a beloved yearly event. Dr. Lazarus is survived by Shelly, his wife of nearly 55 years, along with their three children and seven grandchildren.

1972

Clarence Addo-Yobo, an obstetrician and gynecologist, died Dec. 29, 2024. He was 88. A native of Ghana, he received a scholarship to study medicine in Cairo, Egypt, before coming to Columbia, later completing his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Harlem Hospital. He established private practices in White Plains, Yonkers, and the Bronx before returning to Ghana, where he opened a private medical clinic in East Legon. He is remembered for his compassion, skill, charitable works, and commitment to improving health care in both Ghana and the United States. Dr. Addo-Yobo is survived by his wife, Dedei; his eight children; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

1995

Katharine Olivia Stansmore, a highly regarded cardiologist, died Sept. 3, 2024. She was 55. Born at NewYork-Presbyterian, she majored in genetics at the University of California, Berkeley, and later continued her training at Massachusetts General Hospital, as a resident, and at Beth Israel Deaconess, as a fellow. She served patients at Rhode Island Hospital and later at Mass General, where she established the cardiology practice at MGH West, an outpatient facility in Waltham, Massachusetts. She is survived by her husband, Chris Heckscher, and their three children, Alex, Margaret, and William.

1998

Lawrence Chi Chuen Cheung, a dermatologist, researcher, and advocate for underserved communities, died July 17, 2023. He was 51. Born in Hong Kong, he graduated from Harvard College, and as a medical student at Columbia, he served as the first national president of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. He continued his training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and completed a residency in dermatology at Washington University in St. Louis. He was a dermatologist in private practice in Oakland, California, and served as a principal investigator for clinical trials. He was also a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, as well as a mentor and educator at UCSF. One of his priorities was health equity, particularly for the monolingual Chinese-speaking population he served in the Bay Area. Dr. Cheung is survived by his wife, Angela, and their children, Amelia and Aidan.

2005

Sheree-Monique Watson, a pediatrician and advocate for organ donation, died Nov. 27, 2024. She was 44. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she studied biology at Brown University and later did her residency in pediatrics at the combined program of Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard University) and Boston Medical Center (Boston University). She was close to completing her fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Hasbro Children’s (Brown University). Beyond medicine, she ran multiple half-marathons, participated in various Shakespeare in the Park plays, and was an enthusiast of rock climbing, mountain biking, and white water rafting. An organ recipient herself (as well as a cancer patient), she worked for LiveOnNY, a New York City organ procurement organization. Dr. Watson is survived by her husband, Juan Puyo.

Spring/Summer 2025