Joseph Amato

1937 - 2016

Giuseppe Giovanni Amato/Joseph John Amato, M.D., resident of Chicago, Illinois, & Arezzo, Italy, formerly of Oak Brook, IL, Sands Point, NY, Livingston and West Orange, New Jersey, Boston and Weston, Massachusetts, and Cicero, Illinois, was born in Bracigliano, Italy on July 5, 1937, and died on January 31, 2016 in Arezzo, Italy. Dr. Amato devoted his entire life to repairing hearts, especially those of children. A world-distinguished, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon who performed thousands of operations and invented several procedures and surgical instruments, earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University Chicago, his MD from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, and his Masters of Jurisprudence from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. After medical school, Amato completed his general surgical residency at Cook County Hospital and his Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgical Residency at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center before serving as a Major in the Medical Corps of the United States Army, and Chief of the Biomedical Department of the Biophysics Laboratory in Edgewood, Maryland. His clinical appointments included Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, at Rush-Presbyterian-St.Luke's Hospital, and Schneider Children's Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, Chief, Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, and Director of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, United Hospitals Medical Center Newark, NJ. His academic appointments included Emeritus Professor, Department of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, and the Department of Pediatrics, Rush-Presbyterian-St.Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL, Professor of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, amongst others at Tufts University Medical School, Boston, MA, and Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago, IL. Amato produced dozens of publications, articles, book chapters, and presentations, and lectured in both medicine and law around the world. He was a member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery, American College of Legal Medicine, and Presidente del Com. Scientifico Centro Chirurgico Toscana, Arezzo, Italy. Amato was particularly proud of his participation in the New Jersey State Opera Society, the Petrarca Society of Arezzo, and, as a Paul Harris Fellow, of Rotary and the operations he performed for Rotary's worldwide Gift of Life Program. In 2003 Amato received a knighthood from the Republic of Italy, and in 1995 the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, amongst many other recognitions. He is survived by his devoted wife of 10 years, Barbara, his daughter, Theresa Amato, Esq. (Todd Main), his son John Amato, his step-daughter Ashley Ziemba (Justin), his beloved granddaughters, Isabella Rosina Main and Vittoria Teresina Main, and numerous relatives in Bracigliano, Italy and Chicagoland. He is pre-deceased by his cherished parents, Teresa (Ricciardelli) & Giovanni Amato. A funeral service was held in Bracigliano, Italy on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, and a memorial service and celebration of his life is to be held at a later date in Chicago, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Rotary's Gift of Life Program, giftoflifeinternational.org, and Loyola University Chicago's Endowed Professorship of Italian-American Studies, LUC.edu/italianamerican.