This month, we received obituaries for three classmates: Ira Gewolb (PC), James Boyd Lewis (SY), and Wayne Thomas Dodge(ES). To see the complete obituaries, go to the In Memoriam section under the Class tab.

Ira Gewolb (PC)

Keith English, MD, Professor and Chair, MSU, writes:

“We are saddened to report that our friend and colleague Dr. Ira Gewolb passed away on October 20, 2021. Dr. Gewolb was an internationally recognized leader in the field of neonatology and served as a tenured Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University and Chief of the Division of Neonatology from 2004 until his retirement in 2019. Ira earned his B.S. in biology summa cum laude at Yale University, trained in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital then returned to Yale for his neonatology fellowship. Before coming to MSU, Dr. Gewolb had been an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Director of Newborn Services at Jacobi Hospital. Ira was a member of the American Pediatric Society and the Society for Pediatric Research and had served as President of the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research. Dr. Gewolb received many national awards during his career, including the Basil O’Connor Award from the March of Dimes and the Young Investigator Award from the New England Perinatal Society. At MSU and in the Regional Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Sparrow Hospital, Ira was a tireless advocate for the wellbeing of newborns.”

James Boyd Lewis (SY)

From the East Bay Times, Alameda, CA:

“James ‘Jim’ Lewis passed away peacefully on October 25, 2021, at home in Alameda. . . after living with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma for the last five years . . . Jim was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on July 14, 1950 . . . Always a stellar student, Jim was valedictorian at Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City. He was further distinguished as a National Merit Scholar, earning the honor of being one of two students from each state to attend a White House dinner with President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. As a member of his high school debate team, Jim had occasion to debate future U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, notably one of his few debate losses. Jim earned his undergraduate degree in economics and math from Yale and his law degree from Stanford. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1976. He became a partner in the San Francisco law firm of McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen LLP (later Bingham McCutchen) practicing antitrust law before becoming a patent litigator and chair of the firm’s intellectual property group. [Jim married Nancy Warnke, a law librarian also working in San Francisco, in Alameda in 1983.] Daughter, Margaret ‘Maggie’ Lewis, completed the family in 1989. Jim enjoyed many memorable travels with Nancy, Maggie, and friends over the years.”

Wayne Thomas Dodge (ES)

From The Morehead News:

“Wayne Dodge died [September 5, 2021] from complications of a severe spinal cord injury . . . Wayne was a family practice physician with Group Health/Kaiser Permanente Washington from 1981-2014, where he led the GHC response to the AIDS pandemic. Since retirement, he continued to work as a part-time contracted physician and as a volunteer for End of Life Washington. Brilliant and enormously curious, with a voracious appetite for learning, Wayne had an open and listening heart, consistently showing up and carefully cultivating friendships that endured over years. For 40 years, Wayne taught practices of mindful living and self-compassion at The Haven, a retreat center in Canada . . . Wayne was a loving partner and husband to Larry Kreisman for over 39 years. They found a ‘heart home’ with each other, embracing their connection and common love of travel, art, and the beauty of the Arts and Crafts period . . .[Wayne] nurtured a deep and abiding relationship with his daughter, Robin Grote, sharing a sense of humor and delight in deep and winding conversations. He also cherished his relationship with Robin’s husband, David and his two granddaughters, Cora and Marion.”

To see the complete obituaries, go to the In Memoriam section.