George Wu

George Wu, M.D.

George Wu, M.D. passed away peacefully with family at his side on February 25th, 2019, at the San Francisco VA Medical Center after a short hospitalization. He succumbed to complications related to multiple illnesses, which had slowed him physically in recent years. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Linda, his son, Jason (wife, Deanna), and two grandsons.

George was born March 9, 1946 in Shanghai, China, and immigrated to the United States at the age of 4 with his mother, Lucille, his sister, Evangeline, and his first brother, John. The family settled in Chicago, Illinois, and rejoined his father, Laurence, who had established a medical practice there two years prior. His second brother, Louis, was born (in Chicago) shortly thereafter. George would often speak fondly of his wonderful parents, his mischievous childhood with his siblings, as well as his caring, supportive family life.

George discovered an early passion for the medical field and for surgery in particular. He attended Carleton College for its undergraduate Biology program, the University of Chicago for medical school, Stanford University Medical Center for a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery and Roosevelt Hospital in New York for a hand surgery fellowship. He would later remark that his formative years in upper education were some of the best of his life, and he accordingly maintained close relationships with each teaching institution and a number of his classmates and professors up until his passing.

After his formal medical training, he spent two years in the Air Force as a physician, before finally settling with his wife and newborn son in San Francisco. With Linda as his tenacious office manager, he established a successful and well-respected private practice as a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, specializing in Hand Surgery, at St. Luke's Hospital in the Mission District. His unmatched medical proficiency, as well as his boundless compassion and care for his patients and the surrounding community, were a hallmark of his 35 years of practice.

George will be intensely missed by his family, friends and colleagues, all who knew him to be a supremely genuine, kind and talented individual. A private celebration of his life will take place on March 9th, 2019. Donations in his memory can be sent to The Muscular Dystrophy Association, directed specifically to Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (or LEMS) Research.