RISA B. MANN

Risa Mann was a wonderful pathologist, mentor to myself and many others, and most important a kind and caring person. I was so fortunate to have known her and to have been recruited by her as one of her residents. She taught me pathology and so much more. She is in my thoughts and prayers.

Maya Angelou said "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Dr. Mann made so many young pathologists-in-training feel good. She had class. I've heard it said that you are not truly dead until the last time someone utters your name. In this case, Dr. Risa Mann will live on, as the many people whose lives she touched in a positive way will speak of her indefinitely.

Dr. Mann was such an extraordinary mix of jewish mother, academic physician, and fashion plate. I truly enjoyed sitting across the 'scope from her at sign out. She was an excellent teacher - with a deep and broad understanding of surgical pathology and a high standard of excellence that was a matter of habit for her. And who knew what interesting world topics would pop up as asides? I admired her and had real affection for her.

Risa Mann was the first female pathologist that I met when I interviewed. She immediately put me at ease and made me want to be part of the Hopkins family. She was a mentor in the truest sense of the word. She made us female pathologists know that we "could have it all" just by her example. She was an all-round wonderful person and diagnostician.

Dear John, Gilda and Stacie,

I'm a pathologist working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and was a former pathology resident at Hopkins from 1987-1994. When I applied to the Hopkins residency program in 1986, your mom was the residency program director. After I submitted my application, I had some reservations concerned that people at Hopkins might be sterile and elitist. But I was wrong just the opposite. The first person who contacted me on the phone was Risa Mann. She...

Risa Mann's life was a remarkable encouragement to so many. Her contributions to the residents she mentored will be felt for a lifetime. Thank you Risa.

While we are all unique, I've never met anyone else remotely like Risa, and I know I never again will. I loved her, as her mother-in-law Helen would have said, "with all my heart."

Her memory will always be a blessing and a beacon to me and to countless others.

My love to John, Gilda, Stacie, Brian, Eric, Judy, Stan, Oscar, Amy, and their entire families.

While I desperately wish she was stil physically present, I feel much luckier than I deserve to have known Risa...