Philip Fleckman

1946 - 2023

Philip Fleckman
04/27/1946 - 03/19/2023
Philip Howard Fleckman, 76 years old, of Seattle, Washington, passed away on March 19, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. Philip (Phil) was a professor of dermatology and medicine in the University of Washington Division of Dermatology.

Phil was born on April 27, 1946, to Max and Jeanette Fleckman in Port Arthur, Texas. Phil graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1968 and received his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, in 1973. After an internship in medicine, he went on to a postdoctoral fellowship with the National Institutes of Health. Phil completed his dermatology residency at the Yale School of Medicine in 1980 and served on the faculty for two years, before he was recruited to the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1982.

Phil was the heart of UW Dermatology for 40 years, working tirelessly as a professor and physician-researcher. He was a dedicated mentor who trained generations of young dermatologists through his honest, warm, dedicated approach to teaching. Phil was a pioneer in the treatment of nail and skin diseases who improved the lives of countless patients through his extraordinary clinical and research abilities. He was also involved in many organizations and committees, and he was deeply committed to the FIRST Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types.

Outside of medicine, Phil was devoted to his family and his friends. He is survived by his wife, Star Leonard-Fleckman, his two daughters, Mahri Leonard-Fleckman (Judson Brewer) and Morgen Govindan (Sushant), his two grandchildren, Jai Philip (7) and Elias Joshua Govindan (3), his brother Dan Fleckman, and many nieces and nephews. His legacy will live on through his family, his friends, his research, and the many physicians who were shaped by his teaching. A celebration of his life will be planned for this summer.