JOHN J. KEPES, MD, FRSM: THE LOSS OF A COLLEAGUE, MENTOR AND FRIEND

The passing of Dr. John Janos Kepes affects us all. This kindly, gentle man touched many lives. His death epitomizes the dwindling generation of classic neuropathologists.

His early life in turbulent 20^th century Eastern Europe presented enormous trials, all of which formed him. Ever mindful of his blessings in trying times, the many challenges left him a grateful, contented and giving man who late in life stated, “Who am I to deserve this (referring to his survival) and then to have such happiness, both professionally and personally.”

John Kepes was born in Budapest, Hungary on March 31^st, 1928, a time of general anxiety between the wars. The son of Pal Kepes, an otorhinolaryngologist in that city, he was part of a small Jewish family, made even smaller by the untimely influenza death of his mother when he was but 4 years of age. He had only one sibling, an older sister, but numerous relatives, many of whom would succumbed in the Holocaust. Ever affected by political history, his early student years were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II when he was age 11. Although Hungary was an Axis power, it was occupied in early 1944 by German forces. Predictably, the anti‐Semitic policies of both Nazi Germany and, thereafter, Hungary's fascist Arrow Cross, threatened the existence of the entire Jewish population. In Budapest, a ghetto was formed and deportations from there were to be undertaken after midyear. As expected, John's life and education were interrupted. Salvation came from unexpected corners. In addition to the bravery of Sweden's Raul Wallenberg, who saved some 100,000 souls, the Swiss, Portuguese and Spanish legations in Budapest provided not only “protected houses” and a “protected ghetto”, but also international identifications for tens of thousands of Jews. Unfortunately, the latter were only temporarily recognized by the Hungarian government. John's most meaningful opportunity took the form of a recently vacated, unpaid menial job at the Portuguese embassy, then situated in the soon to be destroyed Ritz Hotel. When Ambassador Carlos Branquinha subsequently offered John housing at the embassy, he was told that the young man had a father and sister also in need—all were welcomed. Upon the order of Dr. Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, then Prime Minister of Portugal, the ambassador to Hungary not only issued in excess of 800 passports for those with Portuguese relatives, but also established an office of the Portuguese Red Cross to aid Hungary's Jews. Having impressed his benevolent employer, John was given one of the passports in order to provide him additional security. With the Russian “liberation” in early 1945, World War II in Hungary came to a close. John returned to a high school for boys and matriculated summa cum laude. Thereafter, he obtained his MD degree from the Medical University of Budapest, which was training some 800 students per class in an effort to provide much needed physicians. John's interest in pathology brought him both intellectual and personal successes. In lieu of vacations, he opted to study pathology at the Jewish Hospital of Budapest under the guidance of a Dr. Acel. It was there that he met the similarly committed Magda Robert. One year his senior in the program and recognized for her abilities, she was to become his wife and, quite literally, the love of his life. It was at that time he experienced a second devastating loss. In addition to the earlier death of his mother, he now lost his sister Agnes. Thereafter, while still in medical school, John married Magda; the then required civil ceremony in 1950 was replaced more than 30 years later by a beautiful and meaningful Jewish ceremony. John obtained his MD degree in 1952 and became an instructor in the department of Pathology at the Institute of Anatomy in Budapest. Subsequently, having completed a year of service in the Hungarian Army Medical Corps, he became an Assistant Professor at the Bajcsy‐Zsilinszky City Hospital and, later, the head of the pathology laboratory of the State Institute of Neurosurgery. During these years, John made his early contributions to pathology. The first was a report of a summer epidemic of dysentery (1954) followed by six others of general pathology interest. Boeck sarcoidosis was the subject of his first neuropathology publication (1956). This relatively tranquil period, which included the birth of his daughter Marta, came to an end with the collapse of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. With the invasion of Russian tanks and troops, John and his family escaped from Hungary on foot, arriving in Austria in midwinter 1956, and assumed refugee status. In early 1957, they were admitted, again as refugees, to the United States. The transition was relatively easy for John in that, unlike Magda, he spoke English. Determined to continue in neuropathology, he applied and was admitted as a Special Fellow in Neuropathology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under the encouraging hand of one who became his friend, Dr. James W. Kernohan. The latter was known for having played a pivotal role in developing an approach to grading brain tumors. Albeit short, this one‐year period (1957–58) was to be forever fondly remembered. The generous welcome given to the Kepes family included a period of residence in the home of Mayo's former first internist, Dr. Henry Plummer. Friendships made also included that of Dr. David C. Dahlin, renown for his advancement of the pathology of bone tumors. Ironically, it was he, who, as a reconnaissance photographer, accompanied the July 2, 1944, Allied air raid on Budapest. Another good friend during this time was Dr. Malcolm Dockerty, among the best known of early surgical pathologists. Throughout his career, John considered himself a “Mayo man.”

Having obtained and completed his fellowship, John and Magda settled in Kansas City, Missouri. Here they both completed requisite internships at St. Joseph's Hospital, after which John moved on to a pathology residency as well as fellowship at University of Kansas Medical Center. The move to Kansas City marked the beginning of a long academic career at KU Medical Center, where he rapidly rose to full professorship between the years 1960–1968. John's range of interests was broad and included both medical and surgical neuropathology. Continuously encouraging both residents as well as visiting foreign clinicians in collaborative research, his bibliography included over 150 original contributions. Mid‐career, he was elected an honorary member of the Alpha‐Omega‐Alpha Medical Honor Society. Although the university awarded John emeritus status in 1992, he could not simply retire. Instead, his academic productivity continued until 2006—a full 48 years of service to the University of Kansas Medical Center. Key career contributions had included a 1982 monograph entitled “Meningiomas: Biology, Pathology and Differential Diagnosis,” his 1991 co‐discovery with Dr. Lucien Rubinstein of “Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma,” as well as his detailed 1993 description of “Tumefactive Demyelination.” Even at the time of his death, he was still involved in collaborative efforts. John's publications were a reflection of his personal observations in diagnostic pathology. A keen, open‐minded investigator, he attributed his successes to a paraphrased statement of Yogi Berra—“It's amazing what you can observe by just looking.” (“You can observe a lot by just watching.”—Yogi Berra).

Interestingly, John showed no desire to administer, having declined an early offer of a chair in neuropathology at Stanford University Medical Center. His sole interests were in academic pursuits. The many resulting academic contributions were not lost on his national neuropathology colleagues, who elected him President of the American Association of Neuropathologists and subsequently gave him the Meritorious Service Award. The general pathology community also recognized his contributions to several editorial boards as well as to the American Board of Pathologists, the College of American Pathologists, and to the National Institutes of Health grant committees. A singular honor occurred in 1998 when John became the first neuropathologist elected to receive the coveted Stewart Award by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City. His lecture on that occasion, “Dr. Lindau's Cerebellar Hemangioblastoma 72 Years Later” gave testament to his love of medical history. In addition, he was recognized internationally, being an invited Fellow of the England's Royal Society of Medicine (College of Neurology), and an honorary member of The Brazilian Society of Pathology, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Neuropathology, as well as the Catalan Academy of Medical Sciences (Barcelona, Spain). Teaching was a passion, as evidenced by having been elected 12 times as Outstanding Educator by the Medical Students Assembly, and being given the Chancellor's Teaching Award as well as the Endowment Associations first Distinguished Teaching Award.

In these modern times, it is difficult to find scholarly individuals with broad‐spectrum accomplishments. John spoke 6 languages, had a marvelous grasp of history, and an in‐depth knowledge of classical music, particularly opera. He was a Renaissance man.

Ever mindful of the blessings he had received, John Kepes never forgot to express thanks, as exemplified by his visit to Portugal to personally thank Dr. Salazar for his prior intervention during the German occupation of Hungary. Typical of their generosity, John and Magda informally sponsored a Chinese family, while formally sponsoring a young boy in Columbia, as well as a Vietnamese pathologist, Dr. Bich Pham and his family, who came to the United States after the end of the Vietnam War. To this day, the Kepes' considered them adopted family in every sense of the word.

Dr. Kepes' final years were marked by sadness at the loss of his beloved Magda. He could not reconcile himself to her passing and spoke often of his love for her and the happiness of their 56‐year marriage. Nonetheless, he maintained the ability to encourage others and took every opportunity to express thanks for the kindnesses and friendship of those in his life. His loving daughter Marta was a blessing throughout.

God be with you, John.