Guido Majno M.D.

Guido Majno M.D., 88, in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday, May 27, 2010. Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Majno was one of the founding fathers of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA, where he taught for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 2002. He moved to Geneva, Switzerland with his wife Isabelle during the summer of 2008.

Guido Majno attended the University of Milan, earned his M.D. in 1947, and his Boards in Pathology and Pathological Anatomy in 1952. He was in turn Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology at the University of Geneva Medical School and Professor and Chair of the newly founded Department of Pathology of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA. During his academic career, he wrote over 100 scientific papers, received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Gold-Headed Cane Award from the American Society for Investigative Pathology, the Alpha Omega Alpha Distinguished Teacher Award and the Humanism in Medicine Award, both from the Association of American Medical Colleges. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Corresponding Member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. He is also credited for discovering how wounds close. In 1975 he notably authored the "Healing Hand - Man and Wound in Antiquity" - a book on the history of medicine written for both scientists and lay-people (Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science). With his second wife Isabelle Joris as co-author he wrote a textbook of Pathology entitled "Cells, Tissues, and Disease - Principles of General Pathology" (American Medical Writers Association Book Award, Physician category). Together they also worked as a team, teaching (general pathology to medical students) and doing research (on inflammation, wound healing, atherosclerosis). Dr. Majno had boundless passion for learning, teaching, and discovery. For him everything was an opportunity to learn, and every hypothesis subject to challenge. He was a master of microscopy, with an attention to detail and analysis that would produce world-renowned scientific discoveries. In the classroom, by his humanism and accessibility he regularly earned "Outstanding Educator" awards during his tenure at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. By example and through eloquent prose, Guido Majno taught thousands of future physicians and teachers. He was a true Renaissance man.

Guido Majno was born on February 9, 1922, and raised in Milan, Italy. He was the second of three brothers - Luigi, Guido and Carlo Majno - sons of a famous Milanese lawyer Edoardo Majno and wife Helda He lived both in Massachusetts and Geneva, Switzerland with his wife Friedericke B.("Fritzi" née Schuyer, 1929 - 1994) and his three children (Corinne '54, Lorenzo '57, and Luca '58). In his youth he had a taste for the outdoors: he was a mountain climber, a motorcyclist, an avid scuba diver, and likely brought spear fishing to the island of Martha's Vineyard, a family vacation place the since the mid 1960's. With never ending curiosity and energy he devoted his life to scientific discovery, understanding ancient medicine and history, a pursuit that led him and his wife Isabelle Joris to spend time studying and attending healing ceremonies among the Hopis and Navajos. Besides his interest in medicine music was also part of his life; he was an accomplished violinist during his early adulthood, introduced medical students to guitar recitals in the classroom, and in later years enjoyed playing the "musical saw", sharing his talent at Holiday parties.

He is survived by his wife, Isabelle Joris-Majno (Geneva, Switzerland); daughter, Corinna B. Majno-Kaufman (Novato, CA); sons, Lorenzo C. Majno (Sudbury, MA), and Luca E. Majno (Bertrand, NB, Canada); and grandchildren: Simon Mercer-Majno, Jessica L. Majno, Lindsay F. Majno, Gregory C. Majno, Lindsay Kaufman, Ashley Kaufman; sisters and brother-in-law: Antonia Majno-Trabattoni, Martine and Olivier Vodoz; nephews: Edoardo and Marisa Majno with their children, Maria Majno-Golub, Pietro and Sabine Majno with their children, Margherita Majno with her son, Giovanna and Hugues Le Cardinal with their children, Leonor Vodoz, Guillaume Vodoz; and cousins: Ilse and Roland Berger with their children and grandchildren, Monique Conforti with her children and grandchildren, Gilbert Bourquin with his children and grand children).

A service was held in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday, June 4 at the Chapelle des Macchabées (Cathédrale St. Pierre).

Gifts or donations in Dr. Majno's name may be sent to the American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc., 135 Parkinson Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10305. Tel: 1-800-223-2732. Fax: 718-981-4399. E-mail: apda@apdaparkinson.org.

For more information contact Isabelle Joris-Majno 15, Avenue Eugène-Pittard, CH-1206 Geneva, Switzerland

(ccelsus@gmail.com)

Corinna Majno-Kaufman at 422 Corte Escuela, Novato, CA 94949-5923

(corinna@corinna

kaufman.com)

Lorenzo Majno, 10 Hudson Road, Sudbury, MA 01776

(lorenzo_majno@instron.com)

or Luca Majno, 448 Boulevard des Acadiens, App. #4, Bertrand, NB E1W 1G2 Canada.

(luc.majno@rogers.com)