John David DesPrez, M.D., 1922 to 2003

Abstract

John David DesPrez, M.D., passed away in Sanibel, Florida, on November 7, 2003. He was born on August 1, 1922, in Canton, Ohio. After receiving an bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University, he graduated from Harvard Medical School. In July of 1947, he completed a rotating internship at Cincinnati General Hospital, and in 1948, he earned a master’s degree in pathology from the University of Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corp in the United States and Germany from 1948 to 1950. In 1954, he finished a residency in general surgery at University Hospitals of Cleveland. A fellowship in plastic surgery at John Hopkins Hospital with Dr. M. Edgerton was concluded in 1956. John was truly a gentleman. His concern for his patients was obvious and his love of teaching was limitless. He will be deeply missed. Along with his partner of many years, Dr. Clifford Kiehn, John taught plastic surgery at University Hospitals of Cleveland. In 1979 he became the chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery. He was a great teacher and innovator. He authored one of the first descriptions of a myocutaneous flap. The topics of his other publications included head and neck cancer, cleft lip and palate, arteriovenous malformations, malignant melanoma, mandibular fractures, and hypospadias. He was a member of the following societies: American Medical Association, Ohio State American Medical Association, Cleveland Surgical Society, New York Academy of Sciences, John Hopkins Hospital Medical and Surgical Society, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Society for Head and Neck Surgeons, American Association for Cleft Palate Rehabilitation, Ohio Valley Plastic Surgery Society, American College of Surgeons (fellow), Plastic Surgery Research Council, American Association of Plastic Surgeons, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons, Northeast Ohio Plastic Surgical Society, North American Plastic Surgery Society, Plastic Surgery Society of the Americas, and the Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons.Figure: John David DesPrez, M.D., 1922 to 2003.Among the many positions he held were director of the Academy of Medicine of Cuyahoga County, medical director of the American Cancer Society, associate editor of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (1973 to 1977), director of the Educational Foundation of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, president of the Ohio Valley Plastic Surgery Society, founder and president of the Northeast Ohio Plastic Surgery Society, and member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery. John loved animals. One of his passions in life was breeding Welsh corgis. He theorized that his dogs could have therapeutic value to humans. One of his dogs was purchased by a family with an autistic child. The child formed a very close relationship with the dog, and in fact the child’s first spoken word was “doggie.” He is survived by his wife, Caroline Herbruck DesPrez, his son, John D. DesPrez, III, his daughter, Catherine Gibbs DesPrez-Bonin, and five grandchildren.