Richard W. Erbe MD

ERBE, Richard W. Age 84, of East Aurora, NY, passed away on April 5, 2024, after a long illness. Richard was born in Maquoketa, Iowa to parents Wesley and Margaret, followed by brothers, Allan and James. He completed his undergraduate work and was valedictorian of his medical school class at the University of Michigan. His Internal Medicine residency was at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, MA, which was followed by postdoctoral research at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. Richard returned to Boston to join the faculty of Harvard Medical School, continue his research on metabolic disorders and practice as the Chief of the Genetics Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also served on the editorial board of the New England Journal of Medicine. Richard moved to Buffalo in 1989, where he became Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the SUNY at Buffalo University and Chief of the Division of Genetics at Children's Hospital. He cared for patients with inborn errors of metabolism until his retirement in 2020. He made numerous contributions to the field of medical genetics throughout his career. He leaves his wife of 36 years, Sally; his children, Kathryn, Jonathan, Jennifer Erbe Leggett and her husband, David, Vanessa and Barrett; and grandchildren, Maeve, Rowan, Carson and Angel. When he was not working, he was devoted to spending time with his family, long distance running (completing over 30 marathons) and making popcorn for his beloved pets. He was brilliant and dedicated, kind and generous and will be fiercely missed.