Stanley Fredric Handel

Stanley (Stan) Fredric Handel, MD

April 27, 1939 - August 14, 2025

Dr. Stanley "Stan" Fredric Handel, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, teacher, physician, and friend, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2025, at the age of 86. He was cherished by his wife, children and grandchildren and deeply respected by his colleagues. He was admired by residents he taught, many of whom considered him a mentor and role model.

Stan was born in Boston on April 27, 1939, to Jewish parents, Lillian Bachner Handel and Philip Handel. He spent his early childhood in Brooklyn, Spring Valley and Beacon, New York, and his later childhood in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School, the University of Houston, and The University of Texas Medical Branch, where he earned his medical degree. After an internship at UCLA Harbor General Hospital, he served two years in the U.S. Public Health Service, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He was a proud veteran and valued the lifelong perspective it gave him.

Stan completed a radiology residency at the University of California, San Francisco, serving as Clinical Instructor and Chief Resident. Inspired by his mentor, T. Hans Newton, MD, Stan completed a UCSF Neuroradiology Fellowship and became an academic neuroradiologist. He held faculty positions at the Medical College of Wisconsin and The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, where he worked at Hermann Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center. In Houston he was a Professor of Radiology and served as Chief of Diagnostic Radiology at Hermann Hospital, spending many years teaching and publishing academic works. After UT Health Science Center, Stan went into private practice. Stan and his partners worked at multiple hospitals and imaging facilities in Houston where they championed MRI technology and opened the first MRI center. He returned to academic teaching at Oklahoma State Medical Center in Tulsa. In 2016, he retired after more than five decades of service in medicine. Throughout his career, Stan was known for excellence and dedication to his work and teaching as well as his extraordinary kindness and generosity.

Stan loved history and poetry, was a practical jokester, amateur cartoonist, and prolific writer. In retirement, he published several books, including memoirs of his childhood (Boyhood: Beacon, New York 1949-1952), family history (Harbordale Food Market: A Family Tale in Houston's Rugged Denver Harbor in the 1950's), and medical training (UTMB 1961-1965: A Five-Year Transition to Physician), as well as a collection of poetry (Wisps of Thought). A children's book (Cloudella the Flying Turtle) is forthcoming. His writing, like his life, was full of warmth, curiosity, and appreciation for both the serious and humorous sides of human experience.

Stan is survived by his wife of over 61 years, Carolyn Hair Handel MD; his four children, Cheryl Razdan, Michelle Handel, Caroline Handel, and David Handel; his son-in-laws Tito Razdan and Jason Ramos; daughter-in-law Vicky Chia; his five grandchildren, Lily, Miles, and Eliza Razdan, and Josephine and Adeline Handel; his sister Roberta Elsik, brother Paul Handel MD, and sister-in-law Carolyn Ann Smith MD; as well as nieces and nephews in the U.S. and France.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in his memory to the ALS Association or Doctors Without Borders.