Michael A. Klein, MD, 76, died March 6. He was a clinical assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Brown.
Born in Dorchester, MA, Dr. Klein studied at the University of Chicago and Wayne State University School of Medicine. He served as a pathologist at Walter Reed for many years and started his own practice in Columbia, MO, before returning to New England to be a pathologist at the VA medical centers in Providence and Boston. He served on Brown’s clinical faculty from 2002 to 2011.
Dr. Klein was an avid woodworker who created beautiful works of art. He also enjoyed golfing and even in his later years a little cooking. In 2019 he moved down to Phoenixville, PA, to be closer to his daughter’s family and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He is survived by his daughter and her husband; two grandchildren; and a brother and sister. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Humane Society of the United States, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20037, humanesociety.org.
John B. Christy IV RES’24, MD, 29, died April 24. He was a second-year resident in the internal medicine residency program at Kent Hospital.
Dr. Christy grew up in East Greenwich, RI, earning his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and organic chemistry at the University of Rhode Island and his medical degree from New York Medical College. He said he chose the Kent program because he wanted to serve the community he was raised in, writing “it is a privilege for me to be able to come home to learn here.” The self-appointed “morale director” of his team, Dr. Christy brought in homemade snacks and treats when work got tough. He loved nothing more than to help others feel better, and truly felt his calling was to leave people better than he found them.
In his free time, Dr. Christy enjoyed fishing, snowboarding, playing drums, cooking, and being out on the waters of Narragansett Bay. He was a kind, humble young physician with an infectious laugh who had a bright career ahead of him.
Dr. Christy is survived by his fiancée, Grace Chen; his parents; his twin sister; an aunt and uncle; and his beloved dog. He was an avid proponent of organ donation, which was his last act of self lessness on this earth. To honor his memory and love for animals, donations may be made to the ASPCA or any animal shelter.
Alexander P. Robertson RES’02 F’03, MD, 54, died May 24 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. A spine surgeon, he was a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedics at Brown.
Growing up in West Hartford, CT, Dr. Robertson was introduced to the medical field by his father, an otolaryngologist at Hartford Hospital. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine before completing his orthopedic surgery residency and trauma fellowship at Brown, and a spine fellowship at Pennsylvania Hospital. He joined University Orthopedics in 2004, and received the Excellence in Teaching Award at The Warren Alpert Medical School in 2015 and 2022.
While Dr. Robertson took great pride in trying to restore a better quality of life to all of his patients, he was most proud of his three daughters. A devoted father, he was always there for his girls, coaching them all in numerous sports over the years and attending every one of their events and games. He was also a loving son and brother who cherished family traditions such as the annual Robertson Thanksgiving soccer tournament. Dr. Robertson traveled all over the world and
Dr. Robertson traveled all over the world and loved fishing, skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, racquet sports, and hiking—especially with his wife, Michelle, and their beloved dogs, Clyde and Dublin. He is also survived by his daughters, two sisters, three nieces, and a nephew.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Special Olympics, specialolympics.org, and the American Brain Tumor Association, abta.org.
Jay Loeffler MD’82, 67, died June 22. A renowned leader in the field of cancer treatment, he was a professor emeritus of radiation oncology and of neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School and former chair of radiation oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
After medical school at Brown, Dr. Loeffler completed his training at the Harvard Joint Center for Radiation Therapy. His interest in neuro-oncology led him to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he became the founding director of the Brain Tumor Center. In 1996, he was recruited to MGH to lead the Francis Burr Proton Therapy Center, which at the time was only the second proton center in the country. After his recent retirement from MGH, he continued his clinical work at Inspire Oncology in Naples, FL. Dr. Loeff ler catalyzed the development of specialized radiation delivery technologies that have led to meaningful improvements in quality of life and increased survival for those with cancer. He authored more than 400 scientific publications and was co-editor of nine cancer textbooks.
The greatest treasure of Dr. Loeffler’s life was his loving, devoted family and the enduring happiness he experienced in his 35-year marriage. He met his wife, Nancy Tarbell, MD, while they were residents; they were devoted not only to each other but also to curing people with cancer. They also shared a love for travel, history, and reading. A talented athlete, Dr. Loeffler was an avid sports fan but enjoyed golf and baseball especially.
Dr. Loeffler is survived by his wife; their three children; a grandchild; his mother; a brother and sister; and nieces and nephews. Gifts in his memory may be made to the MGH Cancer Center, giving.massgeneral.org; please indicate Dr. Jay Loeffler.
Samir Moubayed, MD, P’84, 98, died July 1. He was a clinical associate professor emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology at Brown.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Dr. Moubayed graduated from Alexandria University Medical School. He practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Egypt for 10 years and then worked for the United Nations in the Congo. He immigrated to the United States in 1963 on a political refugee visa. He served on the staffs of Women & Infants, Rhode Island, and The Miriam hospitals and in private practice in Providence, and was a member of Brown’s clinical faculty from 1977 until his retirement in 1996.
Dr. Moubayed is survived by his wife, Susan Moubayed; three sons, including John R. Moubayed ’84; a stepdaughter; a brother; and nine grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to HopeHealth Hospice, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI, 02904; or Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, 667 Waterman St., East Providence, RI, 02914.
Blake Cady, MD, 92, died July 15. He was a professor emeritus of surgery at Brown.
Dr. Cady graduated from Cornell University Medical College and then served in the Navy before residency at the New England Deaconess Hospital and a surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He joined the surgical staff of the Lahey Clinic Foundation and Harvard in 1967, becoming chief of surgical oncology in 1982. From 1997 until his retirement in 2007, he served as a professor of surgery at Brown.
He was the author of over 300 publications, book chapters, and other peer-reviewed articles, and founding editor of the journal Surgical Oncology Clinics of North America. He also served on several national and regional organizations and received numerous awards. Dr. Cady was a surgical consultant at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala.
Dr. Cady is survived by his beloved wife, Dorothy; three children; and two grandchildren. Donations in his memory may be made to American Forests, Arnold Arboretum, Conservation Law Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, or the Greater Boston Food Bank.
Jack R. Wands, MD, 80, died July 19. He was the chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Brown and Lifespan, one of the most prolific investigators in the history of the Medical School, and a giant in the field of hepatology.
After receiving his medical degree from the University of Washington, Dr. Wands completed residency at Johns Hopkins and clinical and research fellowships in gastroenterology
at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he joined the faculty and served as the director of the Molecular Hepatology Laboratory. In 1999 he came to Brown as the director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Research Center, the inaugural Jeffrey and Kimberly Greenberg – Artemis and Martha Joukowsky Professor of Gastroenterology, and a professor of medical science.
Dr. Wands led with generosity and warmth, and a strong emphasis on providing the highest quality of gastroenterology services to all patients. A dedicated and talented mentor, he trained generations of physicians and scientists, and was proud of their extraordinary successes. His dominant scholarly accomplishments included improving our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B and C, and dissecting pivotal intracellular signaling networks that govern the progression of alcohol-related liver disease to cirrhosis or liver cancer. His discoveries are highly relevant to many other malignancies, holding promise for novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for tumors that still lack effective treatments.
Over more than 50 years, Dr. Wands published more than 500 peer-reviewed biomedical articles, delivered hundreds of keynote national and international lectures, and was an inventor on 228 patents, the products of which continue to be investigated for non-invasive diagnosis and treatment of various malignancies, but particularly liver cancer. The impact of his work will be felt for decades to come.
Above all, he was a loving father and grandpa who, even with his endless list of professional obligations, made it a mission to always be present for his family. He was a generous, self less, kind man who touched many lives with a warm smile, a shoulder to lean on, and an ever-present calm voice that will be profoundly missed.
Dr. Wands is survived by two children, two grandchildren, and two brothers. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jack Wands, MD, Liver Research Fund at Rhode Island Hospital, giving.lifespan.org/RIH/Support-RIH; in the comment box, indicate Jack Wands, MD, Liver Research Fund.
Levi Adams
Levi Adams, MS, ADE’75, 91, died July 25. He was the vice president emeritus for biology and medicine external affairs and a pioneering member of the leadership team at Brown, who was instrumental in establishing the Medical School and shaping the lives and careers of a generation of alumni.
A native of North Little Rock, AR, Mr. Adams served in the US Army and then earned a bachelor’s in biology from Boston University and master’s from Harvard in 1957. He served in several research roles at Harvard before he was recruited by Brown in the mid-1960s to help guide the University as it considered moving the Master of Medical Science program to a full MD program. He was involved in every facet of this undertaking, helping to recruit the first faculty and establishing the partnerships with local hospitals needed to add clinical training. (See Medicine@Brown, Spring 2023.)
As vice president for biology and medicine external affairs, Mr. Adams successfully garnered support for the Medical School from Rhode Island legislators and business leaders, and launched the first fundraising
campaign in the early 1970s to support medical education. He also established the Brown Medical Alumni Association, and later, the Brown Medical Annual Fund. He retired from Brown in 1994.
From the inception of the medical program, Mr. Adams saw the importance of a diverse medical student body. He was instrumental in establishing the Early Identification Program with Tougaloo College in 1976 and the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs in 1981. He served as a mentor and adviser to students, many of whom consider him among the most influential figures in their lives. In 2018, alumni whose lives and careers he impacted created the Levi C. Adams Medical Scholarship to support the next generation of African American physicians studying medicine at Brown.
Mr. Adams received the Artemis Joukowsky Award, which recognizes a non-physician for long-term, dedicated, and meritorious service to the Medical School, in 2008. At the University level, the Levi Adams Citation is presented by the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life to a senior in the college for distinction and service in the leadership of a campus-based religious organization. The award honors his exemplary service and that his “resilience, imagination, and strength in his varied tasks were always ground in deep spiritual convictions.”
He was an active member of his church, serving in many leadership positions and singing in the choir. He worked tirelessly with many local, state, and national organizations, serving on boards, chairing committees, mentoring teens, coaching softball, and more.
His legacy will be the physicians he helped nurture and the lives they, in turn, have gone on to touch.
Mr. Adams is survived by his wife, Jeanne Adams ’78, and daughter, Patricia. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Community Health Center of Cape Cod or the Levi C. Adams Medical Scholarship at Brown.
