John Thomas Giannini

Dr. John Thomas (Buz) Giannini, Jr. chose to end his journey on this earth on December 1, 2024. He was born to Dr. John Thomas Giannini and Eula (Marquis) Giannini on May 10, 1949 in Memphis, TN, prior to the family settling in Louisville, KY where he spent the bulk of his early life.

As a child, Buz was a great basketball and baseball player. At 12, he pitched a no-hitter that was covered by all the local papers and made him a minor celebrity for a couple of weeks. He graduated from Westport High School and went on to attend the University of Louisville for undergraduate school. During college, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served on active duty before graduating and attending Duke University's Physician Assistant program.

After practicing as a PA for a couple of years, Buz enrolled in medical school at the University of Louisville where he graduated in 1984. His original aim was to become a surgeon, like his father. But in 1986, after two years of a general surgery residency, he switched to internal medicine after his daughter Liz was born. Becoming a father changed him so much that he wanted a less rigorous rotation and schedule that allowed him to be home more. Two years later, his twin boys, Jack and Ross, were born.

In 1990, Buz and his family moved to Jacksonville, FL, where he spent the next twenty years practicing medicine and raising a family. He had a private practice for many years before he became the Medical Director of River Garden Nursing Home and Senior Living Campus. He coached his kids' sports teams, dressed up as Santa every Christmas, and never turned down a chance to play Barbies or HotWheels. He stitched up neighborhood kids on our kitchen counter and became the de facto, unpaid primary care provider of everyone who knew him. And he loved it.

Buz often had students from the University of Florida on rotation with him and came to love teaching so much that he decided to become a professor in the latter half of his career. He served as an associate professor at Florida State University College of Medicine for many years before becoming a professor and Director of Simulation at Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he spent the last ten years of his life. While in Dothan, Buz earned the Outstanding Advancement in Osteopathic Medical Educator award by the AACOM Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents. Throughout his career he'd also been named on the "Best Docs of Jacksonville" list and earned other faculty awards, but the only ones he ever cared about were the ones voted on by the students. He cared very deeply about teaching and nurturing future doctors.

At ACOM, Buz led a robust clinical simulation curriculum that allowed students to engage in realistic and emergent medical scenarios in a controlled, team-based setting. He also oversaw the ACOM simulation competition and was an advisor to the national competition. Under his leadership, ACOM earned a national and international reputation in simulation competitions, winning five national and three international championships in the last seven years. If you knew Buz well enough, you've probably received more than one picture of him delivering a fake, animatronic baby on a Saturday morning. That was his idea of a good joke.

Buz was a beloved father, doctor, and friend. He loved the Louisville Cardinals, playing bass guitar, and good bourbon. He was fun, generous, goofy, kind, and gentle. Throughout his career, he mentored and taught thousands of students how to be good doctors. Every one of them was better for it.

Buz is preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Dona Lynne McLeod and Diane Giannini Evans, and son, John Rawls (Jack) Giannini. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Liz and Ryan Morrow, son, Ross Giannini, wife of many years, Bobbi Giannini, sister, Denise (Giannini) Riddle, and many nieces, nephews, and friends. In the last few years of his life, he also became PapaDoc to Weston and Fiona Morrow, his beloved grandchildren, whom he loved dearly.

We are devastated that he's gone and so grateful for the time we had with him. Buz is likely as grieved as we are that his death has caused so much pain. But we know he is still with us, always. We will carry him with us-his smile, humor, positivity, and tenderness. We will tell his (endless) stories, pray for healing, root for the Cardinals, and check in on our people. And most of all, we will love each other well and remind every person, as often as we can, that they matter. We take comfort in knowing that we'll be together again one day and that Buz is at peace.

In the United States, one person takes their life every eleven minutes. It's a silent epidemic of massive proportions, leaving families to deal with abandonment, rage, doubt, shame, shock, confusion, and regret on top of sorrow and grief. Talk about it without judgment. Reach out to family, friends, and strangers. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local mental health association or consider volunteering for the Suicide or Lifeline networks to answer calls, chats, or texts to help those in crisis.

A memorial will be held at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in the following weeks. Details to come.