A Personal Remembrance: Berton Roy Moed MD (1950-2020)

In October of 2020, the orthopaedic community mourned the loss of ABJS member Berton Roy Moed MD. He was 70 years old. Roy’s straightforward style of communication, dry humor, and quick wit will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Berton Roy Moed MD (1950-2020). Photo credit: Saint Louis University.

Roy exemplified the ideal academic orthopaedic surgeon: He was a dedicated clinician, researcher, educator, and leader. He wrote his first article in 1982 and published his last nearly 40 years later in 2020. He introduced novel techniques [1, 2] and wrote several seminal papers evaluating the management and outcomes of pelvic and acetabular fractures [3, 4].

A genuinely curious researcher, Roy was always thinking of ways to answer important questions, improve systems, or better educate himself or others. What stood out about Roy was his focus on patients’ outcomes, and his willingness to leave the promotion and credit to someone else. Even though he often did the bulk of the work, Roy would gladly share equal credit with everyone who contributed. Nevertheless, if you were working on a project with Roy, you were expected to do your part, and he would let you know if you were lagging. If you missed a deadline, you could expect a friendly—if subtly persuasive—call from Roy that made you get back to work. Avoiding that call was a great motivator.

Born September 9, 1950 in Brooklyn, NY, USA, the native New Yorker ventured to the Midwest to attend the University Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Psychology. More importantly, he met his wife and lifelong companion, Jill, there. The pull of the east coast is strong for a Brooklyn native, but the pull of Jill, a Detroit native, was even stronger. Roy earned his medical degree at Saint Louis University, and spent the rest of his career as a Midwesterner. Nevertheless, he never lost his Brooklyn charm.

After graduating from medical school in 1976, Roy spent 2 years as a general surgery resident before fulfilling a service obligation as a Lieutenant in the Navy. He returned to complete an orthopaedic surgery residency at Wayne State University in 1983. He had an interest in the developing specialty of orthopaedic trauma and spent the next year in fellowships at North America’s first trauma centers: Sunnybrook Medical Center in Toronto with Marvin Tile, and Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA, USA. To round out his education, he spent 3 months with Emile Letournel in Paris.

Roy’s academic career began at Wayne State in 1984, where he was Vice Chair of Orthopaedics in charge of Detroit Receiving Hospital. In 1990, he moved to Henry Ford Hospital to become Chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Trauma and Assistant Chairman. At Henry Ford, he recruited a team of young orthopaedic traumatologists who subsequently became some of the biggest names in orthopaedic trauma, including Marvin Tile, Joseph Schatzker, and Ted Hanson. More importantly, this dream team stayed with him through the rest of his career. In 1998, he returned to Detroit Receiving Hospital along with his core team as Chief of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. In 2003, he moved to Saint Louis University where he finished his career as The Hansjӧrg Wyss Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Yes, the resumé is impressive, but Roy was so much more than his career accomplishments. I’ll miss his infectious laugh the most. His quick wit, Brooklyn edge, and self-deprecating humor kept everyone laughing. At the same time, he did not shy away from serious topics. On a night out with Roy, you could expect good conversation; often a few fun arguments about orthopaedics, sports, or the world in general; as well as many, many laughs. Interesting conversation is what turned colleagues into friends. Those who were willing to engage enjoyed being around Roy.

I had the great fortune of meeting Roy in Toronto at the start of my career, and over the years, he became one of my closest friends. Fortunately, his wife Jill frequently traveled with him, and my wife, Cynthia, would travel with me depending on whether Jill would be at the meeting. Jill is in every way as big a personality as Roy, equally brilliant, independent, and a great complement to Roy, which made time spent with the two of them even more memorable.

Roy had two daughters just heading off to college when Cynthia and I were starting our family. We looked to Jill and Roy as mentors in forming the kind of relationships we wanted with our kids. Roy was always dedicated to family, but with two talented daughters and a brilliant wife, he sometimes felt out of his league. He was thrilled when his daughters married, but the real thrill came when the grandchildren arrived. Suddenly, academic travel became secondary to visiting them. Any conversation began with an animated update on the activities of the grandchildren. The tough, Brooklyn-born taskmaster became a real softy, and it was great to see the transformation.

Roy is survived by his wife, Jill; daughters, Lisa and Becky; three grandchildren, Anna, Michael, and Gabriel; and many close friends and colleagues who will miss him greatly.