Tuesday, December 3, 2024
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Don Marcus may have been the single person most responsible for my joining the Baylor MD/PhD program. We were introduced by his old Army buddy, K Frank Austen, from their Walter Reed days, and Don was a good-humored presence in my life for 40 years. One time I was housesitting for him and Marianne when a tropical storm came tumbling through Houston and knocked down the enormous tree in front of their house -- crushing my car, which was sitting in their driveway. Calmly surveying the scene, he said something to the effect of "everything in life is a learning experience."
He was still doing pilates twice a week in his late 80s, and attending medical meetings. I attached a photo from a visit the day after Christmas in 2022, but we spoke more often by phone and his wry sense of humor still rings in my ears. He and Marianne were so remarkably accomplished, a real dynamic duo. They will be much-missed.
Patrick Whelan MD PhD
Harvard Medical School
