Manuel Edgar Kadish MD

He was born in Montreal, Canada on February 2, 1924 to Sonia and Abraham Kadish. He grew up in Montreal, attending public elementary and high schools there. His undergraduate education at McGill University was put on hold when he joined the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1943 during the Second World War. He served in Europe and was honorably discharged in 1946. He completed his Bachelor’s Degree at McGill, then moved to Switzerland where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Geneva. There he met and married his life partner, Joan Karen, also a medical student at the University of Geneva. They were married 56 years until her death in 2011.

Following his medical school graduation they returned Montreal where he completed an internship in General Surgery. They then moved to Kingston, Ontario for Joan to finish her degree. They had a private practice together in general medicine until they returned to Montreal in 1962 to specialize in diagnostic radiology.

In 1969 they relocated to Norwich, Connecticut where he assumed leadership of the radiology department at the W.W. Backus Hospital. He had a rewarding career there until his retirement in 1990, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement award in 2017.

“Dr. Manny” was a great aficionado and supporter of the arts, and had a deep love of opera and theater. He was a gracious host, welcoming all into his home for as long as they cared to stay. He was an amateur photographer, painter and gardener, an accomplished cook, and had a passion for physical fitness with regular gym attendance well into his 90s.

He was an avid world traveler, SCUBA diver and skier, and frequently presented slide shows of his photographs of exotic locales.

He was active in the Norwich Rotary, serving a term as President of his chapter and organizing international projects. He was a strong believer in community service and never hesitated to volunteer on committees at Stoneridge and with Rotary.

He is survived by his children Thomas Kadish of Groton CT and Rebecca Kadish, M.D., of Hollis NH, their spouses Marie Ducharme and Robert Levine, M.D., and by his grandchildren Jessica Levine, D.V.M. of Cambridge MA and Emily White of Nashua NH.

He lived a full life, and was truly the “last man standing”. His oft-repeated advice to us all was, “Enjoy everything”.

There are no calling hours. A celebration of his life will be announced at a future date.

Memorial Donations may be made in his name to the Norwich Rotary.