Benjamin Joshua Zigun

Benjamin Joshua Zigun, MD, JD, MBA
1963 - 2025
With great sadness, we announce the death of Benjamin Joshua Zigun, MD, JD, MBA, of Woodbridge, CT, on August 23, 2025, after an arduous and fierce battle against cancer. Dr. Zigun was a prominent and accomplished psychiatrist, healthcare executive, and non-practicing attorney, and a devoted and beloved husband and father. He was also a licensed amateur (ham) radio operator now known sadly as a "Silent Key."
Dr. Zigun was born in 1963, in Boston, MA, to Sylvia (née Moscovitz) and Charles Zigun, MD, and grew up in Fairfield, CT. Dr. Zigun was a lifelong scholar. He earned a BA Magna Cum Laude from Yale University in 1984, Doctor of Medicine from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1988, and completed his psychiatry residency at Yale in 1992. He was a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and of Addiction Medicine from the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1997. He was admitted to the bars of both Connecticut and New York, and was a registered patent attorney. Dr. Zigun went on to obtain a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, also from the University of Connecticut, in 2012. He completed a Population Health Certificate from Thomas Jefferson University in 2018. Dr. Zigun was constantly learning and growing throughout his personal life as well, including completing a Half-Ironman Triathlon and numerous 5K road races, and then moving on to colored pencil and watercolor artwork during the years of his illness.
Dr. Zigun practiced psychiatry at Yale Psychiatric Hospital before launching a career in hospital administration, including leadership positions as Medical Director and Vice Chair of Behavioral Health at Manchester Memorial Hospital (ECHN), and Chair of Psychiatry at Griffin Hospital. He used his MD, JD, and MBA skills to found his own locum tenens company, Strategic Locums, which provided much-needed psychiatric care to many hospitals throughout the state of Connecticut.
He held clinical faculty positions at several universities throughout his career, including Yale School of Medicine and Quinnipiac University. Dr. Zigun's dedication to teaching and mentorship earned him respect and admiration from students and colleagues.
Dr. Zigun was recognized for his contributions to the field of psychiatry, receiving numerous awards, including Griffin Hospital's Planetree Physician Champion award in 2015 and an ECHN Doctor's Day Star Award in 2009. He was a member of various professional organizations, including the American Medical Association and the Connecticut Association of Healthcare Executives, was published in several medical journals, and was always willing to give thoughtful and insightful presentations to interdisciplinary staff. One of his passions was to break down "silos" of care in hospitals so that different departments and different levels of care would be more willing to communicate and work together.
Ben was also known by the call sign KA1WA in his lifelong hobby as an amateur (ham) radio operator. He was licensed at the extra class level for amateur radio, fluent in Morse code, and mentored others to join his favorite hobby. Ben strongly believed that ham radio held universal value even during this time of ever-advancing technology. Ben saw in ham radio the potential to teach physics and electronics to young people in a hands-on, interactive, and creative modality, while also encouraging camaraderie and friendship across countries and nationalities.
Benjamin Zigun is survived by his beloved family, including his wife, Jennifer, children, Noah and Abigail, brother Jeffrey (Suzanne), and dear cousins, as well as a large and meaningful community of relatives, friends, and colleagues who will remember him for his brilliance, high standards, sense of humor, and ability to connect with others.
The funeral will be held on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 10:30 am at Congregation B'nai Jacob, 75 Rimmon Rd., Woodbridge, CT 06525. Private interment will follow at Rodeph Sholom Memorial Park, Fairfield, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice. Some organizations Ben admired were ARRL (Amateur Radio Relay League), Bronx Zoo, and Congregation B'nai Jacob in Woodbridge, CT.