Thomas F. Ferris, M.D.

Thomas F. Ferris, M.D. age 88 of Medina, passed away peacefully at home on July 19, 2019.  Survived by his brothers Charles D. and Henry J. Ferris; children, Richard C., M.D. (Heidi), Deirdre D., Thomas M. (Catherine), and Claudia F., M.D. (Thomas Clark); grandchildren, Anna (Danilo), Connor, Cormac, Aidan, and Kendall.  Tom had an illustrious career in academic medicine; was an avid golfer and sailor, beloved father, a wonderful, kind, and generous man in his professional and personal life.  He will be greatly missed by all who knew him and loved him. 

Born in Boston, Tom graduated from Boston Latin School in 1948 and received his B.S. from Georgetown University in 1952.  Earned his medical degree from Yale University Medical School in 1956 graduating Alpha Omega Alpha.  He completed his internship at Johns Hopkins and was an internal medicine resident and chief resident at Yale - New Haven Hospital. He met his wife, Carol Connor Ferris (deceased) in New Haven and was happily married for 62 years. Until 1959, he served as Captain, USAR (M.C.) at the General Hospital, Neubrucke, Germany.  For the next four years, he was Clinical instructor and later Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine.  From 1966-1967, he was a Fellow and Visiting Investigator at Oxford University in England.  He and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1967 where he was the Founding Director of the Division of Renal Diseases, at the Ohio State University College of Medicine for eleven years.  In 1978, he accepted the position of Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School and served in this position until his retirement in 1995. 

Received the Mosby Book Award, Yale University (1956), John and Mary Markle Scholar Fellowship (1967), and Outstanding Teaching Award at Ohio State University (1969, 1976).  Published more than 100 articles, including papers in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of Clinical Investigation.  The textbook he edited titled, Medical Complications During Pregnancy was the standard reference in the field for six editions. Served on editorial boards of the American Journal of Medicine, the Kidney and Hypertension, the American Journal of Nephrology, Archives of Internal Medicine, Kidney International, and the Journal of Clinical Research.  Board of Governors on the Board of Internal Medicine (1982-84), Chairman of the American Board of Nephrology (1982-84), and the American Society of Nephrology (1982-88), and as President of the American Society of Nephrology (1988).  

A private interment for Tom will be held at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Loretto, Minnesota.         

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