Dr. John J. Fahey M.D.

Dr. John Joseph Fahey, 88, of Baltimore, Maryland, succumbed to Alzheimer's at his home surrounded by his family on August 17, 2014. Born in Toronto, Canada, he was the son of the late James and Estelle (Harrison) Fahey and lived most of his professional life in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Fahey was the first Chief of Orthopedics at St. Joseph Medical Center. He was drawn to the specialty because "there are a lot of happy outcomes relatively soon. I got great satisfaction out of replacing a hip or doing knee surgery and, before too long, the patient was walking like new again." When Dr. Fahey began practicing in 1955, there was no such thing as a sub-specialty. He and the other orthopedists in the Baltimore area saw and did everything related to the bone. His enthusiasm for studying a Japanese technique satisfied his desire to make surgery a less invasive process. Learning the technique, orthoscopic surgery, put him on the leading edge of his profession and made him an early pioneer in that skill. Being a man of deep Catholic faith, he could not have found a better place to practice than St. Joseph Medical Center. During the early part of his career, it was managed by the Sisters of Saint Francis, whose commitment to caring for patients matched Dr. Fahey's upbringing and values. The Sisters would let Dr. Fahey know who was unable to afford care and he would find a way to help them, making house calls a regular part of his days. In the late 1950's he volunteered at what was then the Pediatric Ward at Johns Hopkins Hospital. There he met his future wife, Betty, a social worker. Their marriage produced three children who learned from their father that "medicine should not be practiced for prestige, money or notoriety, but rather the good feeling you get after helping relieve pain and improve a patient's quality of life." Dr. Fahey credits his mother for the choices he made. "She was the cornerstone of our family and continued to be the strongest influence on me throughout my life. She lived her faith and encouraged my siblings and me to trust in God and to extend His love to others. It was wonderful to be able to do that through the practice of medicine. I'd do it all over again. "An honorary society, the Healing Hands Guild, which honors physicians who have contributed greatly to St Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD gave John an award. He is one of 15 physicians who received this award. He was honored at a ceremony on June 11th 2013 and a plaque was placed on prominent display next to the chapel in the hospital with information about his professional and personal achievements. When John Fahey was honored, it was said of him, "His work ethic is second to none. He has a gentle hand. There are a lot of quiet things he has done." These three simple sentences are the essence of a life exceptionally well lived. John is survived by his wife Betty of 50 years, son John Jr. and wife Kathryn (Davis), and daughters, Julia and Jeanne and husband Daniel (Rodriguez Algarin), brother James Fahey and wife Elizabeth, sister Doris Morris, loving grandchildren, Jack, Liza, Neeley, Cate, Kai and Naia, many loving nieces, nephews and other friends. A special thank you to the White Horse Village in Newtown Square, PA for their loving care and support. Funeral services for John will be at St. Joseph Catholic Parish, 100 Church Lane, Cockeysville, MD 21030 on Saturday, August 23 at 11:00 am. Visitation prior to funeral at Ruck Funeral Home, 1050 York Rd, Towson, MD 21204 from 9:30-10:30am. Interment will be at a later date at Mount Calvary Cemetery in White Plains, NY. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Disease Association, 399 Market Street, Suite 102, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Arrangements by The Donohue Funeral Home, West Chester, PA 19382, 610-431-9000.