Dr. William St. John LaCorte

Dr. William St. John LaCorte passed away, comforted by the presence of his family at his home Sunday evening, March 24, 2024, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 75 years old. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Bill was the son of Catherine DiFabio LaCorte and Nicholas St. John LaCorte, former Mayor of Cranford and New Jersey State Assemblyman. Bill was the Grandson of Judge Salvatore LaCorte (Alfonsina) and Felix DiFabio (Jennie), from whom he inherited his love of building, penchant for real estate, and pride in his Italian heritage. Affectionately called "Billy" by his siblings, likewise "Uncle Billy" by his niece and nephew, and "Bill" by many, he was known throughout his life to be smart, witty, and frank. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, mentor, and friend. He was a formidable presence, consistently pushing boundaries to better the lives of all those he touched. He was always up for a challenging intellectual conversation, often about politics, over a cup of coffee at Royal Blend or a glass of wine at Winston's. His genuine care for his patients and humanity was felt by everyone who knew him. In his youth, Bill advanced to the level of Eagle Scout, and later as a parent, bonded with his son Billy during his own time as a scout. Bill graduated from The Pingry School, where he excelled in the classroom and on the wrestling mat where he was team captain and known as "The Cranford Clutch." He received his undergraduate degree in liberal arts from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he conducted biological research with the Department of Defense, served as president of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, and promoted school spirit as a member of the Blue Jays Cheerleading Team. Bill earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. Upon graduation, he moved home to New Jersey for an internship and residency at Morristown Memorial Hospital where he met his beautiful, loving, and nurturing wife Karen. Eleven days after welcoming their first child, Karen and Bill moved by train to New Orleans "for just one year" so Bill could do drug therapy studies with Dr. Gill McMahon. Bill also joined the faculty of Tulane University School of Medicine in downtown New Orleans. He completed an additional residency at Charity Hospital in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. One year turned into many, and New Orleans became home where Karen and Bill raised their family. As a young adult, Bill enjoyed running, tennis, racquetball, and sailing before shifting his focus to his children and grandchildren. For over 45 years, Bill was a primary care physician based out of Metairie, Louisiana, specializing in internal medicine and geriatrics. He loved his family, friends, and patients dearly, and his dedication to them knew no bounds. He always made himself available, day or night, earning his reputation in the community as accessible, unwavering, and reliable: "The Hardest Working Man in Medical Showbusiness". Ever the academic, Bill enjoyed his time as both a lifelong teacher and student. After entering private practice, Bill joined the Tulane Foundations in Medicine Community Preceptor program, coupling his passion for patient care with his strong desire to help educate and assist medical students who would become future medical doctors. Throughout his career, Bill remained fully committed to mentoring and shepherding future medical students, to precepting medical students and nurse practitioner students, and to making this a priority despite his demanding schedule. At the age of 56, he earned his Master of Public Health from the Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine. Over the years, Bill became widely known and well respected in the local and national medical community. In addition to his exceptional medical expertise in patient care, he demonstrated a profound commitment to equity and compassion to patients in New Orleans area hospitals and nursing homes as well as underserved patient populations. Bill also led campaigns against insurance companies to ensure his patients received the best care possible despite any shortcomings in their medical insurance coverage. He was known for taking care of patients regardless of ability to pay and for digging deep into patient charts and histories to uncover and address the roots of their problems. He relentlessly championed the rights of his patients against insurance, laboratory, and pharmaceutical companies, alike. He was licensed by the American Medical Directors Association as a Certified Medical Director, a role in which he served for multiple New Orleans-area nursing homes. Through the years, he had been an active member of Taxpayers Against Fraud, The Louisiana State Board of Nursing, The American Medical Directors Association, The Louisiana Medical Directors Association, The American College of Physicians, The Louisiana State Medical Society, The Orleans Parish Medical Society, and The Louisiana Patient's Compensation Fund Oversight Board, among others. He was a member of New Orleans Yacht Club and Metairie Country Club. Through the years, Bill and Karen supported many charitable organizations and educational institutions from early childhood centers through advanced and professional schools. At Metairie Park Country Day School, they established and funded the Faculty Fellows program to allow faculty the opportunity for deeper intellectual engagement over the summer without the daily distractions and confines of the classroom. Bill and Karen particularly appreciated the space for individual and collective intellectual engagement and discourse while nurturing the spirit of collaboration and comradery among the fellows. He is survived by his wife Karen (Lynch); his daughters Jennifer LaCorte Marsiglia (Mike) and Catherine "Katie" LaCorte Teen (Dominick); his son William S. LaCorte II; his grandchildren William "Will" Marsiglia, Max Marsiglia, Samuel "Sam" Marsiglia, Catherine Johnson, Charles Johnson, Daniel Teen, Evelyn Teen, and Eleanor Teen; his sister Carolyn Anne LaCorte (Charlie Kiamie); his brother Paul Thomas LaCorte (De); his niece Catherine "Tess" Finnegan (Laurent Pavageau); his nephew Billy Finnegan (Don Summa); his aunt Mary Kay LaCorte Buckridge; numerous cousins; and Cameron Johnson (Ginny Kullman), his former son-in-law and loving, supportive father of Catherine and Charles. He was preceded in death by his parents Catherine DiFabio LaCorte and Nicholas St. John LaCorte; his daughter Heather Lynn LaCorte Johnson; his aunt Concetta "Connie" LaCorte Juliano (Ben); his uncle Francis "Fritz" LaCorte (Doris); and his aunt and uncle Marie DiFabio DeLia and Spartacus DeLia. The family expresses profound gratitude to the anonymous blood donors who supported Bill throughout his courageous fight against cancer. Their selfless generosity prolonged his life as well as that of his patients, who relied on his care. The family also thanks the many skillful and dedicated doctors, nurses, techs, and all other employees at Touro, Tulane, Ochsner, and MD Anderson hospitals, as well as Hospice Specialists of Louisiana. A very special thank you to Brooksie, Keisha, Beverly, and Margaret, who ensured Bill was comfortable and cared for around the clock in his final chapter. Finally, the family is sincerely and eternally grateful to all who loved and supported Bill professionally and personally throughout his life. A visitation for Bill will be held Monday, April 8, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124, followed by a funeral Mass at 2:00 PM, and interment thereafter at Metairie Cemetery. Given Bill's reliance on blood donations during his personal battle with cancer, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a blood donation to The Blood Center or your local blood bank. Additionally, memorial gifts may be made to: The Tulane Geriatric Fellows Program at the School of Medicine https://giving.tulane.edu/memory OR (Tulane University