Please take a moment to remember the following members of the BIDMC family who have passed away in recent months:
Harvey "Chet" Krentzman
Edith Salomon Lenneberg
Elinor "Ellie" Hartnett
Michael H. Newberg, MD, PhD
Dr. Samuel B. Beaser
Harvey "Chet" Krentzman, a BIDMC trustee and overseer-for-life, passed away on Friday, December 23. A philanthropist, businessman, civic leader and mentor, Mr. Krentzman died unexpectedly with his family at his side. He was 79. Mr. Krentzman was born and raised in Chelsea, Massachusetts. For two years during World War II he served in the Army as a staff sergeant. In 1949 he received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University, followed by a master's degree from Harvard University's Graduate School of Engineering in 1950 and a master's degree in business from Harvard in 1952. During the 1950s Mr. Krentzman worked for various companies, until he decided to create his own opportunities by founding the business consulting firm Advanced Management Associates to help solve the problems of small businesses and units of larger companies. In 1959 he helped to create the Small Business Institute at Northeastern University's School of Continuing Education, and in 1968 wrote ''Managing for Profits," which served as a practical guide to help entrepreneurs connect business theory to day-to-day operations. ''He loved being a mentor. He was always trying to help both his family and people he didn't know," said his son, Scott. Mr. Krentzman was elected a trustee of Beth Israel Hospital in 1983. He also served as a member of the Beth Israel Corporation starting in 1985, was named an overseer of the medical center and just recently had been appointed an overseer-for-life. "Above and beyond his expertise as an executive and manager, Chet scintillated with a wider range of genuine interests, and a wider stock of appropriate connections than one might think possible in one human being," recalls Beth Israel Hospital President Emeritus Mitchell T. Rabkin, MD. "One of those interests and passions was Beth Israel Hospital, now BIDMC, where he offered gifts -- both material, and strategic -- to our benefit, and with our deep appreciation." Mr. Krentzman was also a lifelong trustee of the Boston Symphony. He helped create the annual Presidents at Pops concert, which has raised tens of millions of dollars for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the past 24 years. Additionally, he was a past president of Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Newton, and a trustee of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Norman Rockwell Museum, the American College of Greece and the USS Constitution Museum. In 1991 Mr. Krentzman was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration from Northeastern University, which in 1996 dedicated its main quadrangle on Huntington Avenue, known as Krentzman quad, in honor of the alumnus and trustee emeritus. Along with his son, Scott, and daughter-in-law, Diane, he leaves his wife of many years, Farla (Blumer) Krentzman; another son, Mark, and daughter-in-law, Caroline Vanderlip; a sister, Dolly Tushman of Medford; and grandchildren Amanda, Hilary, Robert, Jack, Sam, Jennifer and Joshua Krentzman. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.
Edith Salomon Lenneberg, co-founder and director of the Stoma Clinic at the former New England Deaconess Hospital, died on Nov. 13. Born in Hamburg, Germany, Ms. Lenneberg fled to the United States, where she married Dr. Eric H. Lenneberg and settled in Boston. A music teacher and an ileostomy patient, she helped pioneer care for ostomy patients throughout the world. Ms. Lenneberg was a founder of the Ostomy Association of Boston and the United Ostomy Association, the first of hundreds of similar self-help organizations. In 1969 she co-founded the first Stoma Clinic in New England at the NEDH with John Rowbotham, MD, a long-time NEDH surgeon, and served as its administrative director for over a decade. "Edith Lenneberg was a kind, caring, brilliant woman," he recalls. "Her legacy is an intelligent and up-to-date method of caring for a very complicated surgical problem. We obtained a federal grant to provide, free-of-charge to any patient residing in New England, a consultation for the evaluation of any stoma-related problem, and to assist the referring family physician in the special care of his or her patient's needs. Edith was regularly called upon to speak at various teaching hospitals in Boston - so much so, that most of the local teaching hospitals created their own stoma clinics, with their own staffs of enterostomal therapists (ETs) - and after a decade, we had taught them so well that there was no longer a need for our specialized stoma clinic. I am proud to say that the two ETs that joined NEDH beginning in the early 1980s - Donna Quinn, [RN, BSN, CWOCN] and Paula Hayes, [RN, COCN, CWCN] - are still working at BIDMC." Adds Quinn, "BIDMC continues the commitment Ms. Lenneberg advocated for meeting the needs of patients with an ostomy by having board certified ostomy nurses assist with care on an inpatient basis, and in an outpatient Ostomy Clinic." Ms. Lenneberg published several books for clinicians, including one about founding the NEDH clinic that was read by many clinicians starting their own clinics. She was also the first President of the International Association of Enterostomal Therapy, which later evolved into the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society. Ms. Lenneberg moved to Corrales, New Mexico, in 1978 and married Dr. Wilhelm Rosenblatt. Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others and to make a difference. She was outspoken about politics, poverty, world health and injustice, encouraging others to be active by example. Ms. Lenneberg spent her final days among the many people she loved, including her daughter, Miriam Alejandro, and Miriam's family, Jan, Erich, Stephanie and Arlene; her son, Roger Lenneberg, and his family Anna Kanwit, Evan and Thomas Lenneberg; her daughter, Susan Cornett, and her family Rob and Alex; her step-family, Toby, Eva, Walter, Victor and Audrey Rosenblatt, and Liz, Dennis and Toni Gresham; and her dear friends, Shirley and Albert Anderson.
Elinor "Ellie" Hartnett, a volunteer in BIDMC's pastoral care and education department, died on Nov. 16. Ms. Hartnett, who was recognized for five years of volunteer service in 2004, received the prestigious Debby Henry Award for her volunteer work at BIDMC's annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony last June . The award is presented to the volunteer who exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism. "Ellie was devoted to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and its patients, and she meticulously managed the many details necessary for Roman Catholic Patients," says Rabbi Terry Bard, director of BIDMC's Department of Pastoral Care and Education. "She provided support and nurturance for the members of our department and exhibited her characteristic determination and pragmatism to the very end of her life." Father Bruce Teague, a chaplain in the department, says, "Ellie visited all patients - regardless of religion - on the west campus in order to update their religious profile, and in the process offered them support and loving kindness. She also served as a Eucharistic Minister, bringing communion to Catholic patients, and was the point of contact for parents of children who were baptized in the hospital. One person recently confused Ellie and thought she was Barbara Bush -- he complained to her about her son's policy! She was a frequent visitor to the Clinical Pastoral Education course. Her humanity and love for being in the hospital were contagious. We will all miss her." BIDMC Director of Volunteers Julia Dunbar adds, " Ellie was a woman of stature and humility. She was truly devoted to the pastoral care department here at BIDMC as well as to her parish, St. John's the Evangelist in Cambridge, and to her family and friends. She was a leader who pursued justice with courage, strength and compassion. Ellie never made a point about being noticed, but her presence was tangible. Her gift to me and to countless others was to make us want to become better human beings - to become more like Ellie." Ms. Hartnett is survived by her sisters, Sr. Anne Regis O.P. and Mary Drummey; by her brother, Thomas J. Hartnett; and by 12 nieces and nephews.
Michael H. Newberg, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist at BIDMC, passed away suddenly on Nov. 22. He was 42. "Mike Newberg came to BIDMC in 1999 as a highly sought after infectious diseases fellow after spending his undergraduate years at Brown University, and medical school and internal medicine training at the University of Virginia, where also he earned a PhD," recalls Adolf W. Karchmer, MD, chief of infectious diseases at BIDMC. "He was a very talented person whose career was marked by honors at each step. In addition, he was a warm, caring physician - one who would, without hesitation, step forward when a volunteer was needed. Mike could make the complex simple, a testimony to his intellect, and could infuse anything with humor and cheer, a reflection of his irrepressible dry wit." Adds Norman L. Letvin, MD, BIDMC chief, division of viral pathogenesis, "Michael Newberg was an immensely gifted scientist, already making substantial contributions to our understanding of the immune control of HIV. His untimely death is not only a personal loss for his family, friends and colleagues, but a loss for the scientific community and the effort to make an effective AIDS vaccine." Elisa Choi, MD, divisions of viral pathogenesis and infectious diseases, noted that Dr. Newberg was an enthusiastic Boston Red Sox fan who would often attend the team's home games at Fenway. Dr. Choi says, "He was a caring and compassionate physician, a talented scientist and an esteemed colleague. Those of us who knew Mike personally will remember his witty sense of humor, his generous nature and his friendly personality. He was a devoted father and husband who cherished the time he spent with his family. His untimely passing is a tremendous loss for the medical and scientific community, and a devastating tragedy for his family and friends. We will miss him very, very much." Dr. Newberg is survived by his wife, Jennifer (Lee) Newberg; his two children, Zoe and Grady; his parents, Dr. Marc and Ruth (Seewald) Newberg; and his sister, Deborah Newberg.
Dr. Samuel B. Beaser, a world-renowned physician and pioneer in the treatment of diabetes at the former Beth Israel Hospital, died on Nov. 25. He was 95. Born in Boston, Dr. Beaser attended Boston Latin School. He graduated from Harvard College in 1930 with a degree in chemistry and earned a medical degree from the Columbia School of Physicians and Surgeons. Following a residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital in 1937, he returned to Boston to serve as chief resident at Beth Israel Hospital, where he specialized in diabetes research. He was involved in many early insulin studies that indicated that oral treatments worked as well as shots, and testified about these findings in the 1950s and 1960s before Congress and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "When practicing medicine he was the old-fashioned type of doctor that still did house calls and visited people with the old black bag," says his son, Dr. Richard Beaser, a diabetes specialist at the Joslin Diabetes Center. Dr. Beaser also served as a doctor in Puerto Rico with the Army Medical Corps during World War II. He retired from practice in 1977 after 50 years of medical service. During his retirement, Dr. Beaser and his wife, Shirley, split time between homes in Newton and West Palm Beach, Florida, and traveled worldwide. Dr. Beaser enjoyed spending time with his granchildren and "liked to challenge them intellectually," says his son. He continued to take classes well into his 80s, studying subjects such as art history, astronomy and oceanography. In addition to his wife and son, Dr. Beaser leaves another son, Robert Beaser; and five grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Samuel B. Beaser, MD can be made to Joslin Diabetes Center, One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215.
Dr. Eugene F. McDonough Jr., a leading oncological surgeon who worked at the former New England Deaconess Hospital, died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) on Nov. 30. He was 75. Dr. McDonough attended Harvard College and earned his medical degree from Tufts Medical School. Following three years in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, he became a surgical resident at Boston City Hospital. He then received his master's degree in surgery from Tufts University and spent three years as chief resident in surgery at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City before joining his father's West Roxbury, Massachusetts practice. Father and son shared office space for about two decades. The younger Dr. McDonough inherited many of his father's patients, often treating multiple generations of the same family. When patients couldn't make it to his office, he took the key medical equipment with him and visited their homes. For 35 years, he used operating rooms at the Faulkner Hospital - where he had been born - and was president of its medical staff. He also worked at Mount Auburn Hospital and the NEDH, according to family members, bringing together radiologists and other specialists to make sure cancer patients were getting the right combination of treatments. ''Gene was a pioneering, loyal, pivotal advocate for recognizing that surgical oncology would make a difference before its time," says BIDMC general surgeon George Blackburn, MD, who served as a resident under Dr. McDonough. An assistant professor of clinical surgery at Harvard Medical School (HMS), Dr. McDonough continued making house calls until his health prevented it. He also scheduled lengthy appointments for patients so that he could thoroughly explain any procedure they were about to undergo, even when doctors were feeling pressured to keep appointments short. In his later years, particularly with the onset of his illness three years ago, he turned to the humanities, feeling that his years of studying science and mathematics had created a void. Dr. McDonough cared deeply about medical ethics, family and friends said, and served for 14 years on the Massachusetts Medical Society's Ethics and Disciplinary Committee. He was also a member of the admissions committee at HMS. "He was a very honest person and he wanted his profession to be honest," said his wife, Ingrid. ''He was a stickler for people being competent and being good doctors." In addition to his wife, Dr. McDonough leaves a son, Eugene; a brother, Barry; a sister, Abigail; and many nieces and nephews.
BIDMCtoday also recently learned of the deaths of several additional members of the BIDMC family:
Jackie Brown, was a medical center employee for 30 years and a practice manager for the division of infectious diseases for the last 6+ years.
Alfred Handler, PhD, was a researcher who helped BIDMC obtain vital funds for medical research from private industry.
Sonia “Sunny” Helman, volunteered at BIDMC for 20 years, warmly greeting surgical patients at BIDMC.
Dan Murphy, was a long-time project manager and director of engineering in BIDMC's facilities department.
Kathy Berman, began her nursing career at Beth Israel Hospital, where she worked 25 years and became nurse manager of the psychiatric unit.
Frank Wheelock, MD, pioneered vascular surgery at New England Deaconess Hospital.
Watch for the full announcements in the next “In Memoriam” broadcast e-mail. If you would like to contribute a quote about Jackie Brown, Alfred Handler, Sonia “Sunny” Helman, Dan Murphy, Kathy Berman or Frank Wheelock to be included in the full e-mail, please contact Valerie Hope Goldstein at vgoldste@bidmc.harvard.edu.
We send out e-mails to inform BIDMC staff about members of our community who have recently passed away. To report the death of a current or former BIDMC community member, please contact Susan Lubars in the Office of the President at (66)7-9478, Rabbi Terry Bard at (66)7-3030 or Valerie Hope Goldstein, Communications, at (66)7-7307.