Dr. Nicholas D. D?Esopo, 99, passed away peacefully at home on December 12, 2008. He was born in 1909 in Hartford, CT one of 10 children of immigrant Italian parents Dominick D?Esopo and Teresa Galgano D?Esopo. Dr. D?Esopo served as Chief of the Pulmonary Disease Service at the VA Medical Center in West Haven from 1953 to 1985 and as a Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine from 1953 to 2004. His long and dedicated medical career focused on the study and treatment of tuberculosis and other chest diseases. Dr. D?Esopo graduated from Trinity College in Hartford in 1930, where he also received an M.A. in Greek. He received his M.D. degree from Yale University Medical School in 1936 and began post-graduate training as an intern at Butler Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Providence R.I., then as Assistant Resident at Bellevue Hospital, New York, on the Chest Service. Other early career positions included: Instructor in Medicine at Syracuse School of Medicine, Syracuse, New York (1942-1943), Associate Medical Director, Pinecrest Sanatorium in Michigan (1944-1946), Chief, Tuberculosis Service, VA Hospital, Sunmount, New York (1946-1953). While at Sunmount, he initiated and conducted pioneering clinical trials which led to the development of 'combined chemotherapy' for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. This work benefited thousands of patients over the next four decades and changed forever the way tuberculosis was treated. For his outstanding contributions to the betterment of mankind and the advancement of pulmonary medicine, Dr. D?Esopo was awarded the American Lung Association of Connecticut?s 1994 Humanitarian Award. Other honors bestowed upon Dr. D?Esopo have been the VA Honor Award in 1978 and the American Lung Association 75th Anniversary Hall of Fame in 1980. During his medical career, Dr. D?Esopo was also a prolific writer of original scientific articles and delivered talks at numerous medical conferences in the States and Europe and by so doing shared his wealth of knowledge of pulmonary medicine with generations of physicians throughout the world. He always had a great love of learning which included personal study of languages such as Russian, Latin, and Greek, playing the cello, gardening, and learning to use the computer to write manuscripts during the last decade of his life. Dr. D?Esopo is survived by his daughter and son-in-law,Catherine and Lawrence Walters, his sister, Teresa D?Esopo of West Hartford, and three grandchildren. He is remembered by his colleagues as an outstanding teacher, mentor, and role model. His soft spoken voice, gentle nature and humble spirit will remain in our hearts and memories. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 3, 2009, 10:00 A.M. at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Center Road, Woodbridge, CT. Gifts in his memory may be sent to the American Lung Associationof CT, 45 Ash St., East Hartford, CT 06108
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.11.1