Ralph George DePalma

DePALMA

RALPH GEORGE DePALMA MD

Ralph George DePalma, MD, died peacefully at home on April 23, 2023. He fit several lives into his 91 years, his boundless energy enabling him to write research papers and deliver virtual presentations from his bed until a few days before his death. A friend and mentee described him as "never sitting still, even when he couldn't walk, never leaving a friend behind, always needing to be involved, but not just involved, he had to be leading or pushing others to achieve better and faster."

A cardiothoracic, vascular, and flight surgeon who worked with renowned doctors Michael DeBakey and Robert Becker, Ralph was also a clinical researcher and a mentor to generations of medical professionals. He studied the effects of combat blast and traumatic brain injury on veterans, championing their concerns while hiding his own decades-long struggle with myasthenia gravis. He received the American Venous Forum's Founders' Award, New York University's Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Association of VA Surgeons' Lifetime Achievement Award. He flew in fighter jets with Chuck Yeager, then later arranged for Yeager's care in his final months. In addition, he was a book author, competitive yachtsman, and raconteur extraordinaire.

The son of Italian immigrants, Edward Frank and Mary Sibilio DePalma, Ralph was born on October 29, 1931, in the Bronx. After his father died in 1942, Ralph supported his family while attending public schools. Boxing lessons helped him survive in his tough neighborhood and enabled him to befriend heavyweight champion Joe Louis. He won a swimming scholarship to Columbia, graduating cum laude. He earned his MD with honors from NYU and completed his surgical training in Cleveland.

Returning to New York City, Ralph met Eve Tankard; they married on September 17, 1955. Ralph's military service took them to Seville, Spain; there, the first of their four children was born, and Ralph served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force. The family then moved to Cleveland, where three more children were born, and Ralph became a professor of surgery at Case Western Reserve. His career included roles as Chair of Surgery at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and George Washington University, National Director of Surgery in the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed University of the Health Sciences. His research interests in shock, vascular disease, combat blast and explosion injury, and surgical quality led to Chief Complaints: Surgery and Dilemmas in Health Care, textbooks and peer-reviewed publications about general and vascular surgery, more than 275 book chapters, and lectureships. Other publications included Practicing and Other Stories: A Memoir; A Little Aphorism Book; and Saeta for a Son, in memory of his son, Ralph Lawrence "Larry" DePalma, a psychiatrist and Episcopal priest who died in 2006.

Survivors include wife, Maleva Tankard DePalma, son Edward Frank DePalma (Jie Wu), daughter Maleva "Lee" DePalma Dorsey, daughter Malinda "Mindy" DePalma Helms (David), and daughter-in-law Rebecca Garity DePalma (Loren Gary); and six grandchildren, Nicholas and Emily Dorsey, Robert Helms, and Blanton, Katherine, and Elizabeth DePalma. A memorial service will be held on May 31, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral's Bethlehem Chapel, with a reception immediately following.