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Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgeon, UMDNJ Trustee, and Korean War Veteran Franklyn Patrick Gerard, M.D., age 95, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2023, surrounded by his loving family.
Born and raised in Newark, Frank was the son of Dr. Patrick and Theresa (Giuliano) Gerard. He was educated at Regis High School in Manhattan and attended Harvard University and Georgetown Medical School (1950). He completed his residency at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn and a fellowship at the Lahey Clinic in Boston (1958-59). He was board certified in General and Thoracic Surgery.
During the Korean War, Frank served in the Navy (1952-54) with the 1st Marine Division 3rd Battalion as a Battalion Surgeon in Korea, where he participated in the prisoner of war exchange in Panmunjom (1953).
In 1955, after returning from service, Frank traveled to Italy to visit his ancestral homeland. While learning about his family history, in Capri, he met the woman that would begin his family’s next chapter. He danced the night away with Catherine ‘Cay’ Spina (1931-2016), who would become his beloved wife of nearly 60 years. Frank and Cay married in 1957 and made their home in Glen Ridge, where they raised their six children and lived for 40 years. They were lifelong soulmates and everyone who knew Frank knew how much he adored Cay.
In 1963, Dr. Gerard cofounded the first incorporated professional group in New Jersey, the Thoracic Cardiovascular Surgical Group in Essex County (now the Cardiovascular Care Group). He was a member of many hospital staffs in Essex and Union Counties, and Chief of Staff at St. James Hospital and Clara Maass Medical Center. In 1967, he founded The New Jersey Society of Thoracic Surgeons and was honored at their 40th and 50th anniversary dinners in 2007 and 2017, respectively.
In 1970, he was appointed by Governor Cahill to serve on the original Board of Trustees of the College (University) of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He served until 1991 and was Vice Chairman during his last six years of service. In 1978, he became the first President of the Foundation of UMDNJ and also served as a Clinical Professor of Surgery.
Dr. Gerard served on numerous Boards including the Cathedral Healthcare System, Blue Shield of N.J., N. J. Commission on Legal and Ethical Problems in the Delivery of Healthcare, Center for Molecular Medicine and Immunology and the Standards and Ethics Committee of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons as well as the Board of Trustees (Vice Chairman) Clara Maas Medical Center.
He was a member of various medical organizations including The American Association for Thoracic Surgery, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (Founders Group), New York Society of Thoracic Surgery, Eastern Vascular Surgical Society, International Cardiovascular Society, the Practitioners Club and the Vascular Society of New Jersey.
In 1978, he was awarded the Knight of St. Gregory the Great by Pope John Paul II. In 1991, he was honored by Clara Mass Medical Center at their Cherry Blossom Ball as a “Distinguished Surgeon.” In 1997, The Columbian Foundation honored him with their Humanitarian Achievement.
Frank was a Councilman in Glen Ridge from 1983-1986, as well as President of the Glen Ridge Athletic Association, Little League Coach, and Team Physician for Glen Ridge High School from 1972 to 1982. A onetime member of the Harvard Club of New York and the New York Athletic Club, Frank was an avid golfer and a founding member of the Forest Hill Field Club, and a member at the Glen Ridge Country Club (Board of Trustees) and the Montclair Golf Club. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Spring Lake Golf Club, Spring Lake Bath & Tennis Club and the Jupiter Hills Golf Club (Tequesta, Florida). In addition to being an avid golfer, he was also a lifelong New York Yankees and Jets fan.
Frank lived in Singer Island, Florida and summered in Sea Girt, New Jersey. His memory is carried on by his six children: Dr. William (Ellen Kelly), Maribeth (Anthony Eckert), Robert (Carmella Perrotto), Frank Jr., Cathy Burke and Joanne (Dr. Richard Monti), 17 wonderful grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and his sister, Joan Larkin.
Visitation will be held at O’Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Hwy 35 at New Bedford Road Wall, NJ on Friday April 14th, from 4-7pm and Mass of Christian Burial to be held on Saturday, April 15, at 9:00am at St. Catharine Church, 215 Essex Ave, Spring Lake, NJ. Mausoleum entombment with U.S. Navy honors will follow at St. Anne’s Cemetery, 1610 Allenwood Road, Wall, NJ. To send condolences, please visit http://www.obrienfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders (donate.doctorswithoutborders.org).
“I shall pass through this world but once,
Any good, therefore, that I can do
Or any kindness that I can show
To any human being
Let me do it now. Let me
Not defer it or neglect it for
I shall not pass this way again.”
– Etienne de Grellet
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