Honoring the Great Hero and Humanitarian, Dr. Leo Lagasse
Last month, I wrote an article on “12 Essential Questions for All Generations to Discuss This Summer” which was based on the book “For You When I am Gone” by Steve Leder. Please read it at: Article
Always remember, your value lives on!
With that being said, I recently lost my very dear friend, Leo, who had founded Medicine for Humanity (www.medicineforhumanity.org). He was a renowned Gynecologic Oncology surgeon who had saved countless lives during his tenures at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Centers in Los Angeles. I had firsthand knowledge of this as one of his patients as had been my late sister, Selma Schimmel. I also had the pleasure of working with Leo at Medicine for Humanity during its early period.
I have many memories of Leo, but one in particular that has stayed with me and is sitting on my desk at this moment, is that Leo had taken several of the “Cherished Memories – The Story of My Life?” interview binders along with him during one of his trips to Africa. When he visited there, he along with his physician and nurse teams would perform surgeries for free to benefit underserved women. One of the life stories books was brought back from this trip as it had been filled out by one of the patients and included pictures of the woman and her family. This is so meaningful for me as I was one of the creators and authors of the life story interview binders, and I had never imagined that I would receive a filled-in copy with the story of a woman in Africa whose life Leo had saved! Her story and pictures remain a treasure to this day.
I leave you with his obituary published in the Los Angeles Times on Aug. 7, 2022.
May he forever rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing.
LEO LAGASSE OBITUARY
June 13, 1931 - August 2, 2022 Leo Lagasse passed away August 2, 2022. Alzheimer's disease broke the hearts of all who loved him, yet he kept class and his marvelous spirit until the end.
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Leo was married to the love of his life, Ann Lagasse for nearly 61 years. Their wonderful life in Malibu yielded three children, Susan (Brad), Janet (Shack) and Pete (Traci)and 6 grandchildren, Tim, Sydney, Pete, Patrick, Ethan and Matthew. He is survived also by his sister Genie Boruski.
Raised in Los Angeles, a lifelong Catholic, he attended Loyola HS and Loyola University. Leo and Ann were 54-year members of Our Lady of Malibu Church.
Trained in medicine at University of Virginia, specialized in Gyn-Oncology at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai, he was a trailblazer in the treatment of and research in women's cancers. The LDL Society, founded by his fellows, honors his excellence and ethics in medicine. Leo and Ann founded Medicine for Humanity in 1995, a foundation for international women's health. They traveled worldwide, settling MfH in Uganda where it thrives today.
Also, he was a veteran of the US Airforce from 1952-54.
Leo was a lifelong tennis player and sports fan, an avid reader, passionate about friends, family and lifelong learning. He hiked his beloved hills of Malibu with his black labs.
Dr. Lagasse - "improving the health of women advances welfare of children, the family, the community, the nation."
Funeral Service at St. Thomas More Oceanside Aug 20, 2022 11am, reception following at Ocean Hills Country Club. Donations welcome to?MedicineforHumanity.org
Captain at Alaska Airlines (Retired)
2 年Thank you for your tribute to Dr. Lagasse. My Mom was stricken with Stage IV ovarian cancer in the early 80's. After chemotherapy treatments given by another oncologist who told her there was nothing more he could do for her, Mom resigned herself to dying within the year. By a stroke of luck, Mom's closest friend had a friend who was a doctor who referred Mom to Leo when he was at UCLA. At the time, Leo was doing an Interferon study and Mom was one of 13 women in the program. After numerous surgeries, intense radiation, and Interferon treatments Leo saved her. She went from having a terminal disease to not just being in remission but being cured. Mom passed away last year - 37 years after being told she had less than 1 year left to live. Leo was a miracle worker. More than that, he was a kind, caring, empathetic clinician. I never missed an opportunity to thank him whenever I saw Leo at one of our school reunions at LMU and to her dying day, Mom had a special place in her heart for him.
Founder at "DorothyTheOrganizer"
2 年Debby, I remember when you shared about Dr. Lagasse and his trip to Africa - that whole story was why we reached out to be on the Oprah show! What an effort we put into that. Great article. xo Dorothy
Dance Your Way Into An Organized Life ? Certified Professional Organizer
2 年A beautiful tribute to him and to the beauty of Cherished Memories. I’m with my mom this week and look forward to completing more of her Cherished Memories binder.