In Memoriam
Ira M. Cantin, MD
Norfolk - Ira Marshall Cantin, MD passed away at home on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. Ira was born in Richmond, Virginia December 29, 1927. He is preceded in death by his mother Tess Kramer Cantin and father Nathan Cantin.
Dr. Cantin attended Taylor Elementary School, Blair Junior High School and Maury High School and graduated early from the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City at the age of 16. He attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where he received his undergraduate and medical school degrees. He received his Doctor of Medicine in 1951, but not before joining the United States Air Force. He was a flight surgeon during the Korean conflict. Read more.
After his military service, he completed his residency in general surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City and his orthopaedic residency and fellowship at New York Hospital (also known as Columbia Presbyterian Hospital) from 1953-1958, where he met his wife, Mary, a registered nurse. The couple wed in 1958.
Ira and Mary returned to Norfolk to be close to family. That's when he joined an esteemed group of orthopaedic surgeons to form the group, Vann, Taylor, Pole, and Cantin, where they served the needs of the Tidewater community for decades.
Cantin, a practicing orthopaedic surgeon for 36 years, was one of the first surgeons to bring arthroscopic knee surgery, a non-invasive outpatient procedure to the Hampton Roads community.
A lover of sports, Ira served as one of the team doctors for the Norfolk Neptunes and Tidewater Sharks, but his real love was baseball. For 13 years, he was the team doctor for the Tidewater Tides, which at the time was the farm team for the New York Mets. Many spring breaks, Ira would take Mary and their children to Florida for spring training. Ira remained a loyal New York Mets and Virginia Cavaliers fan.
Ira and Mary loved to travel whether by boat, plane, train or sports car.
Dr. Cantin was a proud member of the American Medical Association, Medical Society of Virginia, American Academy of orthopaedic Surgeons and the Virginia orthopaedic Society. Proud to call Norfolk his home, Ira was a lifetime member of Ohef Shalom Temple and the Sertoma Club where he served as president for one year.
After his retirement, Ira volunteered at the Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth in part because he enjoyed riding the ferry across the river to get there.
Ira was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He is survived by his wife Mary of 57 years and three children, Jane Cantin of Norfolk, Nancy Cantin Burton of Marysville Ohio and Ira Marshall Cantin Jr. of Virginia Beach; and three grandchildren, Laura Shelby Cantin of Wilton Manor, Florida, McKenzie Cantin Burton and Madeline Wilson Burton of Marysville, Ohio.
For memorial contributions, the family invites you to contribute to the Children's Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth. Online condolences may be sent to the family here.
Published in The Virginian Pilot on April 29, 2016.
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In Memoriam
Clarke Russ, MD
Clarke Russ, MD was born in Dayton, Ohio to Constance Clarke Russ and John Monroe Russ, Jr. on December 28, 1931 and passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on March 16, 2016. Dr. Russ was educated at Colgate University and Albany Medical College of Union University. He pursued his post-graduate training at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, where he completed a five-year residency in Orthopaedic Surgery. He served two years as a medical officer in the Army Medical Corps in Korea and Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Dr. Russ was Board Certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and was a member of the American Medical Association, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Norfolk and Virginia Beach Medical Societies, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Southern Medical Association and the Southern Orthopaedic Association. Dr. Russ practiced Orthopaedic Surgery in Norfolk and Virginia Beach for 30 years. He was a tireless and loyal patient advocate. He actively served the medical community, including as Director of the Medical Society of Virginia and President of the Virginia Orthopaedic Society. He also served nine years as a member of the Virginia State Board of Medicine, with one year as its President from 1999-2000. He served as Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Federation of State Medical Boards from 1998-2000. Aside from his family commitments, Dr. Russ was most proud and honored to be a 30-year member of the Advisory Board for Station 14 of the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad; an all-volunteer, free service for the citizens of Virginia Beach. In recent years, he was associated with the city-wide rescue service. Dr. Russ was the humble recipient of numerous awards and accolades. He particularly cherished his designation as the inaugural recipient of the Physician of the Year Award at the 1997 John J. Krueger Lectureship, where he was recognized by the Medical Society of Virginia Beach for his "service to the communities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach as an astute, caring and compassionate physician." Dr. Russ will be remembered as a strong but kind, gentle, thoughtful and caring husband, father and physician whose frugality in his personal affairs was eclipsed by his extreme generosity of spirit with regard to family, friends, patients and charitable causes. Remembrances may be directed to Station 14 of the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad (www.vbvrs.org).
