Gordon R. Tobin M.D.

Gordon Ross Tobin, MD, age 81, died peacefully in his sleep on January 30th, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. He was predeceased by his parents, Garnet and Gordon Tobin. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Elisabeth Pelcher Tobin, PhD and his children Chris Tobin (Caitlin), and Anne-Elise Tobin (Carson Roberts), as well as his sister, Rosanne Boardman (Lowell), and their daughter, Christina. He has four grandchildren, Pierson and Garnet Tobin, Katherine Walecka, and Jack Roberts.

Born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho, Dr. Tobin earned his undergraduate degree at Whitman College and his medical degree at the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco. He completed residencies in General Surgery and Plastic Surgery at the University of Arizona before joining the University of Louisville.

Dr. Tobin’s career encompassed surgical education, innovative medical research, care for the underserved at home and abroad, and physician leadership in local, state and national organizations. He wrote extensively on medical ethics and history, with more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and books. As a Professor of Surgery and former Plastic Surgery Director, he founded the UofL Plastic Surgery Research Laboratory. Throughout his career, he provided many breakthroughs in reconstructive surgery for cancer, burns and trauma, and hand and face transplantation. His technique of post-cancer pelvic and vaginal reconstruction has become the preferred method worldwide, and the surgery method is named in his honor. He pioneered reconstruction of cardiac and thoracic surgery defects, as well as early excision and coverage of burns. He also developed methods of vital organ coverage in separation of conjoined twins, working with UofL Pediatric and Cardiac Surgery teams. He served as the Director of Craniofacial Transplantation at UofL and was an original member of the team that performed the world’s first successful hand transplant in 1999.

Dr. Tobin embraced medical missions abroad and at home. In 1991, he co-founded the Vietnam Burn Care Mission to bring modern burn care to Southeast Asia. Dr. Tobin was a long-standing supporter of Kentucky’s SOS International (formerly Supplies Overseas) organization. For nearly 20 years, he led or was involved in efforts to ship medical supplies to areas of need, including Afghanistan, Syrian refugee camps, and Ukraine. He received multiple humanitarian service awards and election to humanitarian honor societies.

Dr. Tobin advanced healthcare policy through service in local, state, and national roles in medical societies. He is Past President of both the Greater Louisville Medical Society (GLMS) and the Kentucky Medical Association (KMA), and he also served on the board of the KMA Foundation. His key advocacies were promoting health-enhancing behavior, protecting a health-sustaining environment, and finding consensus solutions to fully insure healthcare for all citizens. He served on the board of the Center for Interfaith Relations, advocating for leaders of all faiths to work together towards Common Action. He was a care provider and Board Member of Healing the Children and supported the volunteer efforts of Surgery On Sunday. His long-standing support of The Healing Place has helped the recovery program reach beyond alcohol-dependency recovery to address the current opioid epidemic. Most recently, Dr. Tobin has worked on policy initiatives to reduce gun violence, recognizing the devastating effect on our communities. Combining his love for history and medicine, he became a recognized expert in the story of the University of Louisville, its medical school, and their connections to the city.

Dr. Tobin was dedicated to his immediate family as well as his extended family in California, Idaho, Nova Scotia, and Sweden. He enjoyed fly fishing, hunting, international travel, bourbon, and barbecue. He celebrated people and events, highlighting holidays connected to his family and life including Bobby Burns Day, the Kentucky Derby, and Vietnamese New Years, often with a novel cocktail or meal recipe. His Halloween costumes were elaborate and humorous, and his surgical skills produced the most impressive jack-o’-lanterns the neighbors had ever seen.

A celebration of Gordon’s life will be held Saturday February 17th, 10-11:30am, at the Grawemeyer Hall, University of Louisville, 2301 S. 3rd St. Louisville, Kentucky 40292.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the following organizations (When you donate, please include “In Memory of Dr. Gordon Tobin"):

SOS International (https://soshealthandhope.org/; 1500 Arlington Ave, Louisville, KY 40206)

Whitney/Strong Inc. (https://www.whitneystrong.org/; 3044 Bardstown Road #125, Louisville, KY 40205)

The Healing Place (https://www.thehealingplace.org/; Development Office, 1020 W. Market, Louisville, KY 40202)