Dr. Michael "Mihai" Vulpe

1927 - 2014

Dr. Michael "Mihai" Vulpe

May 19, 1927 - Feb. 20, 2014

Died at 86 peacefully, at home in Palm Springs. Pre-deceased by his sister, Maria Atlas, survived by his wife, Shirley-Ann (née German), and their two sons: Christopher and Peer; five children by his first wife, Geneviève (née Rigaux): Michel, Martin Nicola, Ursule, Françoise and Thomas; 14 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and six nieces and nephews. Born in Arad (Transylvania) to Joseph, a Romanian politician, and Maria, a member of the minor nobility of the defunct Austro-Hungarian Empire, Mihai overcame many obstacles during a long and eventful life. World War II ended a life of privilege surrounded by servants, doting aunts and a menagerie of pets. The pro-Axis government jailed his father, who did not subscribe to its nationalistic and racist ideals, and Mihai was forced to leave school. After the war, his father was jailed again, this time by the Soviet-backed government. Tipped off that young men were being conscripted to work on the Danube-Black Sea Canal and not coming back, Mihai decided to leave Romania. He and a friend, Barna Vitye, (deceased) swam across the Danube to Yugoslavia, where they were promptly jailed. Thanks to his charm and wits, to friends returning wartime debts, a chance intervention by the U.S. government in Balkan politics, luck and an ability to quote Baudelaire and Rimbaud, Mihai got out of jail and wrangled a visa to France. In France, Mihai took on whatever work came his way, including chauffeur to fashion models and exotic animals. While in Paris, he met his first wife, Geneviève, and eloped with her to Canada, arriving with $7. In Canada, he returned to the medical studies he had begun in Romania. He was accepted into a Master of Science program at McGill University, and worked and did research at the Montreal Neurological Hospital under Wilder Penfield, a pioneer in brain mapping. After completing his medical degree at the University of Saskatchewan, Mihai did his internship in Windsor (Canada), followed by a neurological residency in Detroit. He returned to Montreal with his wife and five children, but was soon divorced. He married his second wife, Shirley-Ann, in 1966, and took up a professorship at Wayne State University Medical School. After seven years, he opened a private practice in Rhode Island. Always restless, he soon moved on to Virginia, where he worked as Chief of Neurology at Hampton Institute Veterans Affairs hospital. His last position was as Chief of the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the VA Hospital in Long Beach, Calif. A dedicated physician and staunch patient advocate he was devoted to providing high-quality care. To this end each practice was associated with a medical school, where he continued learning, researching, teaching and mentoring aspiring physicians. Mihai was much appreciated by those who came into his care. For many years, for instance, he continued to receive Christmas baking from a woman in Detroit who credited him with saving her husband's life. Mihai retired at 68 after suffering a stroke. In spite of chronic illnesses, Mihai led a full life in retirement with his extended family and pets. He continued to pursue his love of reading, music, gardening, nature, traveling and languages (11). With his wife, Shirley-Ann, and their beloved dog, Arpad, he regularly crisscrossed the U.S. and Canada, visiting family and just enjoying traveling. In keeping with his belief in the importance of science and education, Mihai donated his body to scientific research. His family will hold a celebration of his life in Palm Springs, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 29, 2014, and on Big White Calf Island, Canada, on a date to be determined. A donation to basic science or medical research in his memory would be appreciated. Mihai was dearly loved by his family, and he will be sorely missed

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