John Hardy Fitchen M.D.

It was a privilege knowing and working with John during my days at Epitope. John was at once an amazing, humble and kind person. I know he will be fondly remembered by many. My deepest condolences to his family on your loss

I was lucky to have worked with and to have become friends with John, if only for a little while. We both worked at Epitope back in the day. Though I wasn´t a birder we shared a love of the outdoors. I just loved talking with him. While I was low on the totem pole John treated me like an equal. He had more confidence in me than I had in myself. He was funny, kind, whip smart and compassionate. I am sorry that he has passed away. He made the world a better place by being in it. My sincere...

Like John, I grew up in Hamilton, New York. Even though he was 2 years ahead of me in school, I remember him well. I certainly recall John playing on the Hamilton High School football team. He was a very good athlete and contributed a great deal to the team´s success the years that he played. Everyone who knew John realized that whatever he chose to do as his life´s work, he would be very successful. Reading about his career as a doctor most assuredly confirmed what we all knew about him many...

I was a medic at Norton AFB, California, and had the honor of working for and with Dr. Fitchen in the Flight Surgeon's Office. He was always willing to teach and train me in medicine and I was willing to learn. He was a consummate professional. I learned a lot under his tutelage. He will be missed.

Dear Ellen, I just read of John´s passing in the OHSU´s Bridges Newsletter. He was my Attending Physician when I did my Internal Medicine rotation at the VA hospital as a third year medical student at OHSU in 1983. He had a huge impact on my first lessons of what it meant to be a physician. How to be present with a patient. I was particularly impacted by a young veteran with leukemia who John compassionately cared for. He was influential in my decision to become an Internist. He continued...

I grew up knowing John, even though he was a few years older than me. I vividly remember John and his friend Eric Dahn playing on the Hamilton High School Football team and I think John was also on the HCS Wrestling team. Even back in the early 1960´s, it was clear to everyone that John was a highly intelligent person and would go on to accomplish great things.

My sincere sympathy to all of John´s family. I knew John well growing up in Hamilton, NY. He was a very well liked and highly respected young man. I wish his family peace and strength during this most difficult time. -Dan Amendola-

The work and founding of Epitope charted my trajectory right out of college, while the research I performed might not have saved the world (possibly shareholder value) the people I met at Epitope (and Agritope) changed my life for the better, many friends to this day, amazing people and top notch Scientists. I had no idea his contribution as a Flight Surgeon (like my Father) or to the VA, thank you Dr. John Fitchen, your impact is felt widely, still.