JOEL H. RASCOFF

RASCOFF--Dr. Joel H., passed away on March 31, 2014. He left this world as he lived in it: with integrity, courage, and gratitude for his many blessings. Born in Brooklyn in 1941, he was raised there and in Rockaway Beach, NY. He was educated at Columbia College, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where he studied mathematics, and Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. After further medical training and work in the Public Health Service, he practiced nephrology for decades in the Bronx and Queens, bringing wisdom, respect, and compassion to the care of thousands of patients. A polymath whose interests ranged from cosmology to foreign policy, he was also a passionate botanist, woodworker, and photographer. His greatest devotions were to his family, his Jewish faith, and his community. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer eight years ago, he defied the odds through a combination of excellent medical care and determination. He is survived by his sweetheart and wife of 46 years, Barbara; his devoted brother Joseph; the sons and daughters-in-law he adored, Henry and Carina, Samuel and Lauren, and Matthew and Emily; and the grandchildren he cherished, Raffaella, Gabriella, Jordana, Jonah, and Roselle. Donations in his memory can be made to Amit or to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.