JONATHAN STRONGIN Obituary

STRONGIN, Jonathan MD, PhD Of Brookline, MA, passed away in the early morning of February 9, 2019. He practiced pulmonary and critical care medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance where he had served as President of the Medical Staff and Chief of Pulmonary. He was dedicated to providing care to the Cambridge and Sommerville communities. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Ellen; children, Jessica and Matthew; children-in-law, Zach and Ayse; and extended family and friends. In addition to his family, he loved travel, folk music, and his dog, Raul. There will be no formal funeral. Memories can be shared at https://www.forevermissed.com/jonathan-d-strongin/ Dr. Strongin graduated from Columbia College then obtained his MD and PhD in Anthropology at Columbia University. He trained in internal medicine at Cambridge Hospital and the Beth Israel Hospital and completed his pulmonary fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Instead of flowers, please consider a donation for student scholarships at the Northfield-Mount Hermon School,

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Published by Boston Globe from Feb. 11 to Feb. 12, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for JONATHAN STRONGIN

9 Entries

Donald Kaplan

February 19, 2019

Jonathan Strongin and I were partners in our medical practice for over 25 years. We both had full beards and it was a poorly kept secret that the nurses referred to us as the Smith Brothers. Jonathan's never-ending quest for the best in patient care always brought out the highest degree of respect and professionalism from all his colleagues, both nurses and physicians. Jonathan embodied the Whidden tradition of caring about people as much as caring for them. The patient population may not all have been gifted with intellectual or social prowess, but Jonathan saw the humanity in all.
Our Talmud teaches us that he who saves one life is as if he saves the whole world. By that measure Jonathan saved many, many worlds. His presence inspired confidence in both patients and staff. His knowledge and judgement was undisputed.
I recall many evenings, sitting in our shared office where our desks facing each other. We would discuss our patients and then lean back and converse on whatever topic crossed our minds. Sometimes it was his adventures as an anthropologist living with an indigenous tribe. Most often it was about our families. Jonathan had high hopes for Matt and Jess and was glad to see them fulfilled. He was also very proud in an understated way of Ellen's academic achievements.
Most of those evening conversations have dissolved from my memory, but I am left with the reality of how much I will miss him.

Ghada and Nabil Fuleihan

February 17, 2019

It was our privilege to have known Jonathan as a colleague but more importantly friend. He was part of some of our life celebrations while in Boston, belonged to a small circle of friends after we left, and visited us with Ellen in our home in Beirut.
Jonathan was generous, loyal, warm, and witty. We will miss him dearly.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Ellen, Jessica and Mathews.
May his Soul Rest In Peace.
Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan
Nabil Fuleihan
Beirut, Lebanon

Ghada and Nabil Fuleihan

February 17, 2019

It was our privilege to have known Jonathan as a colleague and friend. He was part of our life celebrations in Boston, we stayed in touch periodically after we left, and he visited us in Lebanon few years ago. Jonathan was generous, loyal, witty, warm, and engaging.
We will miss him dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ellen, Jessica, and Mathew.
May his soul Rest In Peace.
Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan
Nabil Fuleihan

Beirut, Lebanon

Lee Cranberg

February 15, 2019

I was privileged to be a colleague of Jonathan's at Cambridge Health Alliance. Our examination rooms at the Somerville Medical Specialties clinic were next door to each other. We shared an appreciation for the "School Within a School" program at Brookline High School where our children had thrived; and perhaps we were models for each other in the pursuit of lifelong learning in semi-retirement. (We certainly had fun comparing notes.)

Jonathan passed away much too young. I extend my deepest condolences.

Lee Cranberg, MD

Jill Streck

February 13, 2019

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
With love
Jill and Gary Streck

Larry Jones

February 12, 2019

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Larry Jones

cheryl warner

February 12, 2019

I regret to say that I just learned of Jonathan's death. I am genuinely saddened by this and the impact on his family, Ellen Seely, Jessica, and Matthew. Ellen and Jonathan, through Jessica and my younger daughter Rachel, featured prominently in our daughters early years, as reliable and desirable members of the all-important play date, play group, and carpool networks, upon which the lives of working parents and their children depend. If you're lucky, good young children connections beget good carpool partners, which in turn yield solid adult connections for the parents. Dr. Ellen Seely, recognized specialty expert at BWH, was fortunately accessible to me through those arbitrary "professional network" designations. When he was within "network" reach, Jonathan, also, was everything an internist could hope for, an expert who was available, collaborative, responsive and responsible. Patient hand-offs were clear and personalized.

As a doctor Jonathan "defended" his patients' needs against the arbitrariness of medical systems; as a carpool parent he defended Matthew when he was outnumbered and taunted by the older girls calling him "Matt-poo." Good carpool parents are usually good consultants, and, of course, good people. Jonathan was all of that.

With great fondness,

Cherie Warner, for our family--Don, Rebecca, and especially Rachel.

Susan Andrew

February 12, 2019

My condolences. Jonathan was such a good man. I am so sorry for Jonathan's family, friends, patients and community. He will be missed so much.

February 12, 2019

Remembering your great love story today and always.

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