It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Sem Phan, professor of pathology and renowned pulmonary pathology researcher, following a protracted illness.
Although Sem was a gifted researcher, he was also a kind and generous person. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Katherine, and their two children, Nicholas and Louis. He provided faithful and loving care for his wife during her illness. His colleagues knew him as a gifted investigator but, more importantly, one who was always willing to share his expertise and (graciously) provide help whenever called upon. He was a gourmet cook and a wine aficionado and eagerly shared these talents with his friends. He loved music, especially his son Nick’s opera career, and delighted in the joys of grandparenthood. His love of travel took him to many countries around the world. Dr. Phan was a gifted pathologist, an accomplished scientist, a consummate teacher, and a strong role model for all he encountered. He is leaving a hole in our hearts and department and will be deeply missed.
The family has announced the following plans for memorial services. There will be a viewing at 10:00 and a service at 11:00 on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 3109 Scio Church Rd, Ann Arbor.
With great sadness, we share the passing of Denise Flannery, a Medical Technologist Specialist in our Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. She began her career as a microbiology technologist in 1991 and worked at Providence and Botsford hospitals before joining us at Michigan Medicine in 2016. She was a leader in the bacteriology area of the lab, lending her expertise to complicated cases and improving laboratory procedures. A celebration of life will be held in honor of Denise on Saturday, October 12th from 12:00 - 4:00 pm at the Suburban Collection Showplace [...]
It is with great sadness that we share the sudden and unexpected passing of Liz McCloud, QA Coordinator for Satellite Phlebotomy. Liz started at Michigan Medicine-Pathology in 2006 and grew tremendously over the years from that of a Patient Care Tech Associate to Associate Supervisor, and in 2017 she assumed the role of Quality Assurance Coordinator.
The Department of Pathology is sad to report the passing of another of our teammates, Hope Jones. Hope passed away in a car accident near her home on Sunday, May 12, 2024. A funeral memorial service will be Saturday, May 25, starting at 10:30am at Greater Love Tabernacle Church (17617 Plymouth Rd, Detroit, 48227).
It is with profound sadness that we write about the unexpected passing of Dena Ryan, a member of our Pathology Informatics team who managed MediaLab for the Department of Pathology. Dena was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and attended Lowell High School in Lowell, Michigan. Upon graduation, she obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology from Michigan Technological University in 1999, followed by a second bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory sciences from Eastern Michigan University, before finding her way to Michigan Medicine’s Department of Pathology as a laboratory technician. She later transitioned to Pathology Informatics to support the MediaLab application as a business analyst.
It is with sorrow that we report that Associate Professor Emeritus Dr. Eugene M. Silverman and his wife, Alida Silverman, both recently passed away and their funeral was held on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
In Memoriam
David O. Ferguson, MD, PhD
June 11, 1966 – January 6, 2024
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of David O. Ferguson, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology. David passed away suddenly at the age of 57 on Saturday, January 6, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Dr. JoAnn Sekiguchi (Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School), their daughter, Brianna, and his brother, Peter Ferguson of Henderson, NV.
It is with regret that we announce the passing of W. John Judd, former Professor of Immunohematology for the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan. Judd passed on December 1, 2021, at the age of 76, in his hometown of Supply (near Wilmington), North Carolina. He served in the Department of Pathology for 34 years.
John T. Headington, M.D. passed away on March 30, 2021. Terry was a brilliant, creative, and insightful dermatopathologist who made many seminal observations and contributions during his more than 30-year career. Terry was a Michigan man, having completed his undergraduate degree, medical degree, and residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology and dermatology at the University of Michigan [...]
It is with incredible sadness that we report the death of Pathology’s Chief Department Administrator, Martin “Marty” Lawlor. Marty passed away at the age of 56 following a brief illness on Friday, September 17th, surrounded by his children, Maxwell, Sarah, and Brendan, his mother Sylvia Lawlor, and his partner Andrea Springsteen [...]
The Department of Pathology offers its sincere condolences to the family of Dr. Theodore (Ted) Beals, who passed away on August 19, 2021, at the age of 87. Beals was a long-time member of the University of Michigan and the Department of Pathology. He began his academic career as an undergraduate at U-M and went on to obtain a master’s degree from UM Rackham Graduate School in 1961 and graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1966 [...]
U-M Medical School graduate and former Department of Pathology Resident, David Samuel Jacobs, died peacefully at home on Sunday, September 13, 2020, at the age of 88, surrounded by family. David was an accomplished pathologist, devoted husband to his wife Judy Jacobs, father of four, and grandfather to eight. He completed his residency program under Drs. A. James French and M. R. Abell, two of the founding Chairs of the Department...
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mila Blaivas, MD, PhD. Blaivas passed away after a short illness on January 6, 2020, at a local hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she had moved to be with her daughter and son-in-law in May 2011. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Alex Blaivas, who was the love of her life, two children and three grandchildren.
Michigan lost one of it’s most celebrated and beloved pathologists this week as Dr. Bertram Schnitzer passed away at the age of 90. [...]