Robert Gunter Spiro M.D.

1929 - 2015
Professor Emeritus (Biological Chemistry and Medicine) at Harvard Medical School died on May 16, 2015, at age 86 after a courageous battle with stomach cancer. This condition was diagnosed shortly after the Joslin Diabetes Center presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his research on the relationship of high blood glucose to the kidney damage in diabetes and for his successful management of his own Type 1 diabetes for over 60 years without any complications of that disease, a unique accomplishment. Robert was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Harry and Kate (Löwenstein) Spiro. After his father was briefly interned in Dachau concentration camp and then released due to his service in World War I, Robert's parents made arrangements to leave for London with his older brother, Walter, while Robert was sent to school in Gstaad, Switzerland, for two years. In 1940 while World War II was in progress, Robert traveled by train and airplane to London after which the reunited family sailed to New York as part of a slow moving convoy always on the watch for German submarines. Unfortunately, other members of his small family did not survive and his beloved maternal grandmother was murdered in Auschwitz in 1943. Robert attended Forest Hills High School, Columbia College and SUNY Upstate Medical University, graduating from all with high honors. After a year's Medical Residency in Syracuse, he moved in 1956 to the Harvard Medical School in Boston for postdoctoral studies and was associated with this institution for over forty years until his retirement in 2000. After additional training at the Massachusetts General Hospital, his research was conducted primarily at the Joslin Diabetes Center and he focused not only on the kidney complications of diabetes but also on the field of Glycobiology in which he was a pioneer, studying the structure and biosynthesis of glycoproteins. His laboratory trained more than 60 postdoctoral fellows and students, many of whom hold prominent positions in medicine world-wide. He was the recipient of numerous national and international awards in the fields of both Diabetes and Glycobiology. His belief in teaching young people with type 1 diabetes the importance of good control of blood sugar motivated him to found the Robert G. Spiro, M.D., Campership Fund in 2004, upon his receiving the 50-year medal from the Joslin Diabetes Center. Robert is survived by his wife of more than 62 years, Mary Jane (Paisley), his sons David (Jillian) and Mark (Elizabeth), grandchildren, Alex, Lilia, Joshua, Aleah and Porter, his brother-in-law William Paisley (Matilda), nieces Karen Spiro, Amy Spiro and Pamela Spiro Gowers (Liam), a nephew, Paul D. Spiro, M.D.(Kathy), and a cousin, Herman (Bob) Loewenstein (Lee). The funeral will be held at Temple Shalom, 175 Temple Street, West Newton, 02465, on Wednesday, May 20,at 1:00 pm, followed by interment at the Newton Cemetery. 791 Walnut St, Newton Centre, MA 02459. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Robert G. Spiro, M.D., Campership Fund at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA 02115.