In Memoriam

Richard S. Laskin, MD passed away on March 1, 2008.  Dr. Laskin was a member of the HSS staff for 17 years, Chief of Arthroplasty Service and Editor of the HSS Journal.  His academic accomplishments and incredible innovative ability are legend, but his personal qualities of kindness, genuine caring for his patients and colleagues, and mentorship made Dick Laskin very special.

Richard M. Stark, MD ('63) died suddenly December 15, 2007 at his home in Riverside, CT.  He had been treated for complicated heart disease and diabetes. A graduate of Union College and Chicago Medical School, he completed his orthopaedic residency at HSS in 1963.  The following year he joined the Staff of North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY, eventually becoming Director of Orthopaedic Surgery until his retirement in the 1990s.  As an Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and with close ties to HSS, he structured a highly respected orthopaedic residency rotation at North Shore for the HSS house staff.  He was committed to and encouraged a high quality of collegiality of his attending staff and established an all-orthopaedic floor.  He arranged to have Surgeon-in-Chief Dr. Phillip D. Wilson, Jr. hold orthopaedic rounds there every six weeks, fostering even a closer relationship with HSS.  Dick was an exacting person, well respected by the professional world around him and very devoted to his wife Betty, two sons, Tom and John, sister Susan Match and four grandchildren.  He read the New York Times daily from cover to cover, spent hours at the computer, loved golf and had a passion for new and old watches.

Peter Dingman, MD ('50) passed away at the age of 90.  He was an HSS resident from January 1949 to December 1950 and always spoke of his gratitude for the education he received from HSS.

John L. Lawson, MD ('87) earned his Bachelors degree from the University of Virginia, Charlottsville and his medical degree from University of Chicago.  He went on to New England Deaconess Hospital for his residency after which he completed an HSS rheumatology fellowship.  Dr. Lawson decided to transition from his role in research to clinical practice and began his medical career in Washington, DC in internal medicine and rheumatology.  He joined Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates in 1998 and was an active member of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia.  His passion was organized medicine and he served as Medical Society President in 2003 and Chairman in 2004.

Siavash Mahinpour, MD ('75) served as an HSS Scoliosis Fellow. He was born in Iran and graduated form the University of Tehran Medical School.  He came to the US in 1967 to complete his medical internship at Queens General Hospital and residency.  Dr. Mahinpour was a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

James A. Nicholas ('52) graduated from the HSS Residency and served as Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon at HSS for many years.  While on staff, he initially developed an interest in metabolic bone disease. He was a specialist in the management of adrenal disease during surgery and was a member of the team that operated on Senator John F. Kennedy's spine in October 1954. Dr. Nicholas was one of the founders of the practice of sports medicine at Hospital for Special Surgery. He also served as President of the Alumni Association at Hospital for Special Surgery from 1976 to 1977. He was an outstanding teacher and innovator of many surgical techniques for ligamentous reconstructions about the knee and shoulder.   Dr. Nicholas was Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and always remained a great friend to HSS.

Russell Vergess, MD ('76) earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and graduated from Cornell Medical School.  He completed his orthopaedic residency at HSS and began his practice in Burbank in 1977.  Dr. Vergess' area of expertise included joint arthroscopies, total joint replacements, sports medicine and trauma and he treated adults, adolescents, and children (with the exception of those with congenital birth defects). He served as a member of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, the California Medical Association, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the California Orthopedic Association.

Frederick W. Waknitz, MD ('39) passed away at the age of 99.  He received his medical degree from the University of Kansas in 1933, and spent his early years practicing in New York City. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Medical Department in both the European and Pacific Theaters, retiring in 1946 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Dr. Waknitz settled in Seattle in 1950 and was the co-founder of Orthopedic Associates (now known as Orthopedic Physicians Associates). He also saw patients at Swedish Hospital on First Hill and West Seattle General Hospital, and he volunteered at Children's Hospital. He was a life-long member of the King County Medical Society and past Chief at West Seattle General Hospital. At home, Dr. Waknitz spent many hours in his shop making tables, chairs, cabinets and various other woodworking projects for his family and friends. He also enjoyed relaxing at the family summer cabin on Camano Island.