Losses
George Allen, MD, PhD, who served for more than 25 years as chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Vanderbilt, died Dec. 7, 2019. He was 77. Dr. Allen studied medicine at Washington University and did an internship at Duke University before completing a residency in neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota where he also earned a PhD. He joined the faculty at The Johns Hopkins University before coming to Vanderbilt as professor and chair of Neurological Surgery in 1984. Dr. Allen’s wife, Shannon Hersey, MD, is associate professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at Vanderbilt. During his 25-year tenure as chair, Dr. Allen added 13 full-time faculty, 14 residents and four post-doctoral researchers. He also oversaw the creation of five subspecialty programs and graduated 45 residents during his tenure. Dr. Allen was preceded in death by his parents, Mitchell and Cleo, and his sister, Elizabeth. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Shannon; his daughters Katie (Kevin), Jennifer (Christopher), and Elizabeth; and two grandsons.
H. Verdain Barnes, MD’65, HS’66, MDiv, died June 24, 2019. Dr. Barnes is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joyce; children Brad, Brendie, Brannon and Shari.
Stanley Cohen, PhD, MA, distinguished professor of Biochemistry, emeritus, whose discovery of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor earned him and his research partner Rita Levi-Montalcini a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986 and opened the door to a new class of cancer therapies, died Feb. 5. He was 97. He is survived by his wife, Jan Jordan; three children, Bert Bishop and his wife, Kay Bowen, Ken Larsen, Cary Cohen and his wife, L’Don Sawyer; two granddaughters, Lori Cohen and Tamara Larsen.
John H. Coles, MD, MS’51, HS’56, BA’48, died Oct. 17, 2019. Dr. Coles is survived by his wife, Gloria; children Patricia and Lisa; stepchildren Bill, Susan and Beverly; and seven grandchildren.
Kevin H. Dabrowski, MD, FE’15, died June 23, 2019. He was 33. Dr. Dabrowski is survived by his wife, Catherine, and daughter Adeline.
Howard Fuchs, MD’81, HS’86, professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, died Oct. 28, 2019. He was 64. Dr. Fuchs did his residency at VUMC and joined the VUSM faculty in 1986. He served as the fellowship director for the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology since 1994 and as the section chief for Rheumatology at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System since 1989. Dr. Fuchs is survived by his wife of 40 years, Cathy Fuchs, MD, professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; sons Chris and Paul; and five siblings.
John H. Griscom, BA’51, MD’54, HS’60, FE’58 died Feb. 2. He was 90. He is survived by his wife, Vivian; four children and nine grandchildren.
William E. Harrison Jr., MD, HS’62, died June 24, 2019. Dr. Harrison is survived by his wife of 35 years, Charlotte; children Catherine, Juliet, Kelly, Richard Harrison, Richard Drake, Robert and Brian.
Michael J. Hart, MD, HS’91, died Sept. 4, 2019. Dr. Hart is survived by children Sarah, Kevin, Katie, Betsy, and their mother, Jodi.
George W. Holcomb Jr., MD’46, BA’43, HS’49, former executive director of Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Affairs, died June 29, 2019. He was 97. Dr. Holcomb was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Alice. He is survived by children George and Virginia; and three grandchildren.
Richard L. Lester, MD’53, BA’50, HS’54, died Jan. 1. He is survived by his wife, Katherine, and their four children, Susan, Richard, Patricia and Laura; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Royce E. Joyner, MD’79, died Jan. 13. He is survived by his wife, Sirella, and his son, Royce.
Jason S. Lane, MD, MPH, HS’07, FAC, died Jan. 31. He was 45. Dr. Lane is survived by his wife, Laurie; children Connor and Drew.
Clifford James Lynch, MD, HS’57, died Sept. 13, 2019. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Margaret; and daughters Mary Louise, Karen and Susan.
L. William McLain Jr., MD, FAC’70-’78, died Nov. 11, 2019. Dr. McLain is survived by his wife, Jane, and his daughters Ann and Lee.
Anthony J. Munoz, MD, HS’60, died Aug. 14, 2019. Dr. Munoz is survived by his wife, Shelly; children, M. Virginia, Sara, Laura and Mark; and one grandchild.
Jane Park, PhD, an active member of the Vanderbilt University faculty for 60 years, died Aug. 19, 2019. She was 94. For many years, Dr. Park, a member of what became the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, focused her research on glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. She became nationally recognized for her mechanistic studies of this enzyme.
David L. Page, MD, HS’67, FE’66, died Oct. 17, 2019. Dr. Page is survived by his children, Emily and Robert; and two grandchildren.
George Richardson Park, MD’60, died Jan. 1. Dr. Park is survived by his wife, Peggy; children Susan, Andrew and Margaret; and six grandchildren.
Lawrence J. Pass, MD, HS’79, BA’73, died June 19, 2019. Dr. Pass is survived by his wife of 42 years, Jan; his two sons, David and Michael.
Charles J. Phifer, BE’55, MD’70, HS’71, died Dec. 31, 2019. He was 87. Dr. Phifer is survived by his wife, Bev; and daughters Shannon and Cari.
Raphael F. Smith III, MD, BA’55, FE’58, died July 29, 2019. Dr. Smith is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dorothy; children Raphael, Stephen, Peter and Anne; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
James L. Talbert, MD’56, BA’53, died July 1, 2019. Dr. Talbert is survived by his wife of 60 years, Alice; children William and Alison; and two granddaughters.
Spencer P. Thornton, MD, HS’63, died Oct. 26, 2019. Dr. Thornton is preceded in death by his wife, Ginnie, and and is survived by his children Steve, David, Cooper and Beth; and nine grandchildren.
Thomas L. Wells, MD’56, died Dec. 25, 2019. He is survived by his wife, Brenda; her children David, Steven and Ashley; and his children Tom, John, Bill, Rick, Susan and Bobby.
Jack N. Wells, MD, MS, PhD, FAC, died Jan. 12. Dr. Wells is survived by his sons Daniel and Douglas; and two grandchildren.
William E. Woodward, MD, HS’67, died Nov. 16, 2019. He is survived his wife, Ingrid; children Harris, Lewis, Matthew, Alex and Lauren; and stepson, David.