December 3 , 2004

In memoriam

Two long-time members of the MGH community - Francis H. 'Hooks' Burr, a member of the MGH Board of Trustees, and Allan Goldblatt, MD, a pediatric cardiologist for MassGeneral Hospital for Children - recently died.

Burr, who devoted more than 40 years to shaping and strengthening the MGH, died Nov. 25 at the age of 90. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1962, served as chairman from 1982 to 1987 and then remained active as an honorary trustee until his death. During his time on the board, Burr led a campaign to raise money to build the Ellison and Blake buildings, and he was one of a select group of hospital leaders who helped establish Partners HealthCare.

Goldblatt, who became the first director of Pediatric Cardiology at the MGH and held the position for almost 25 years, died Nov. 23 at the age of 72. After retiring from patient care, Goldblatt worked for the MGH's Quality Assessment Program for nine years, advocating for patient's rights and for providing more compassionate care.