John Augustine Washington

My father was a man of great accomplishments (who did not speak of them himself), who remained always a man of integrity, humility and kindness.  He used to say that one should never consider oneself to be irreplaceable, no matter how high one´s position, and he did not exempt himself from this.  He treated equally respectfully physicians, lab techs and secretaries, and appreciated everything that they did for him that permitted him to achieve success.  He was an innovator in the field of microbiology who built world-leading institutions of knowledge and expertise that would excel above himself and endure long beyond his time.   Steve

Dear Mrs. Washington and family,

I am deeply saddened by the passing of one of the pillars in my development as a career clinical microbiologist. Dr Washington´s aegis and mentoring has meant a lot to me in my professional life. I have always been so proud to say that I was one of Dr Washington´s last handfuls of fellows at the Cleveland Clinic! Working together with Gerri Hall and Belinda Yen-Lieberman, I saw how the three of them carried the torch of Stellar Quality in everything that came out of the Micro Labs at CCEF. I then adapted some part of their styles to my own in order to project myself independently into the future. But not only was he stellar as a professional; he was also a mighty generous spirit. He appreciated everything that each of us had to contribute at all stages in our development and validated it in private and in public. His soft-spoken ways were testaments to how one can be quite effective while still keeping a `cool head at the helm´. Our field will miss him enormously. I am sure I speak for all of our colleagues in conveying to you our deepest condolences on the passing of your husband and family member.

Ramon L. Sandin, MD, MS, FCAP, ABP-MM

I met the good doctor at area and national microbiology gatherings. He was always the gentlemen, and I personally was in awe of his professional knowledge. He will be missed.I wish the best for the family.

My heart dropped when I read about Mr Washington. My heart goes out to such a loving and caring family. My memories of Mr Washington were of a kind, warm gentleman with the desire for all of us to just be our best. He will be missed

I am very, very sorry to hear of the passing of Dr. Washington. It was always lovely to be with Mikaela's parents and enjoy time with them. We're thinking of you and sending the Washington family many hugs.

My dad was a quiet man but of great words. He always had the right thing to say at the right time, no matter where you were. He is irreplaceable nor should he be. Dad always made me feel proud of my accomplishments, no matter how small I might have felt them to be. I will miss him horribly but will remember him with such pride, not to speak of his wonderful laugh, it was just infectious. He was such an amazing man and I love him with all my heart.