In Memoriam

Dr. Grant Morrow

Grant Morrow III, MD, former chair of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) Board of Directors, died May 18, 2019. He was 86.

Dr. Morrow’s contributions to the ABP and the health and care of children were significant. He began volunteering with the ABP in 1980 as an oral examiner. He continued to serve the ABP for many years in numerous roles until 2003. He was a member of the Neonatal-Perinatal Subboard, a member of the Written Examination Committee, liaison to the Subboard of Pediatric Nephrology, a…

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Fred G. Smith Jr., MD, former Vice President of Special Programs at the American Board of Pediatrics, died Sept. 1, 2018, in Durham NC. He was 90.

Dr. Smith was a renowned pediatric nephrologist. A native of California, he completed much of his medical education and career at UCLA. Later, he was Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Director of the Children’s Hospital at the University of Iowa. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

He also volunteered with the ABP from 1978–88, first as an…

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Norman TainerDr. Norman Talner of Chapel Hill, NC, died on August 17. Dr. Talner served on the ABP Subboard of Pediatric Cardiology from 1969–1974. From 1982–1995, he was the Medical Editor of the Pediatric Cardiology Subboard.

Dr. Talner was born in 1925, and moved shortly thereafter with his family to New Rochelle, NY, where his father opened a jewelry store, which still exists, and where he attended public schools. In 1943 he entered the University of Michigan under the Navy V-12 program…

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Dr. John L. GreenFormer American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) board member John L. Green, MD, 82, of Penfield, N.Y., died March 26, 2017, in Sarasota, Fla. Dr. Green was a general pediatrician in a private practice in Rochester, N.Y., for 34 years.

A memorial service for Dr. Green will be held at Temple B'rith Kodesh in Rochester on Monday, April 3, at 2 pm. The family will receive visitors immediately following the service. For more information, view…

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Richard Burnstine, MD, of Glencoe, IL, died in February. Dr. Burnstine was a general pediatrician in private practice for more than 50 years.

He began volunteering with the ABP in 1972 as an Oral Examiner and served many years in that role.  He also served on various Certifying Examination Committees from 1989-2000.

Surviving are his wife of 63 years, Ann; children, Phil Burnstine, Debbie (Gary) Walt, Jean (Tim Kisley) Burnstine and Liz (Linda Kane) Burnstine: grandchildren Dan (Meghan) Burnstine, Ben Walt, Zach Kisley and…

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Dr. Solomon KaplanRenowned UCLA pediatric endocrinologist Solomon Alexander Kaplan, MD, a former subboard member and subboard chair at the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), died at home on Jan. 2, 2017.

A memorial service for Dr. Kaplan will be held at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (map and directions) on Friday, Feb. 10, at 9 a.m.. The service will follow the Kaplan Lectureship held at 8 am in the Tamkin…

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I am deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of Dr. Howard A. Pearson. Dr. Pearson served with the ABP from 1977-1999.  He was an Oral Examiner for over ten years. Throughout his term with the ABP, he served on many committees: Program Directors Liaison Committee, Written Examination Committee, Time-Limited Certification Committee, Certifying Examination Item Bank Committee, and the Recertification Task Force. Howard, along with the assistance of Laurence Finberg, MD, published the history of the Board to…

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Dr. Nanci YuanNanci Yuan, M.D., former pediatric pulmonology subboard member to the American Board of Pediatrics, died on July 1, 2016, after a 12-month battle with colon cancer.

An expert in pediatric pulmonary and sleep medicine, Dr. Yuan taught students, residents, and colleagues through her training at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland (Pediatrics) and Children's Hospital Los Angeles (Pediatric Pulmonary). She continued to teach and mentor as a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Pulmonary…

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Dr. Sherrel HammarSherrel Leyton Hammar, MD, former committee and board member of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), died May 17, 2016, in Honolulu, HI. He was 84.

Between 1981 and 2001, Dr. Hammar volunteered for many roles at the ABP. He was an oral examiner, certifying exam committee member, certifying exam planning committee member, credentials committee chair, adolescent medicine subboard member, and Board of Directors member.

A native of Caldwell, ID, Dr. Hammer graduated from Caldwell…

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Laurence "Larry" Finberg, M.D., former Board of Directors member and Emeritus of the American Board of Pediatrics, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2016, in San Francisco, CA. He was 92.

Dr. Finberg became involved with the American Board of Pediatrics in 1969 and served until 1993. During his time with the ABP, Dr. Finberg served two six-year terms on the Board of Directors, and chaired the board twice, in 1978 and 1987.

Dr. Finberg's involvement with the ABP did not stop…

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