John Slade Memorial Page

John Slade, MD (1949-2002)
Distinguished Leader in Addiction Treatment and Tobacco Prevention

Dr. Slade was a physician, professor, researcher, and internationally acclaimed health activitist whose work continues to be responsible for saving thousands of lives from addictions, especially to tobacco. John was an inspiring leader, and it was his vision, combined with support from the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, that led to the formation of the Tobacco Dependence Program at UMDNJ-School of Public Health. May we all continue his life's dedication and passion for tobacco-free and addiction-free lives. John D. Slade, MD Dr. John Slade Distinguished Leader in Addiction Treatment and Tobacco Prevention Dr. John Slade, an expert on the treatment of alcohol, tobacco and drug addiction, and one of America’s pioneer advocates for tobacco control, died Tuesday at the age of 52. Dr. Slade suffered a stroke in July of 2001.  Click here for more.

Jack Henningfield's remarks at Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Annual Lecture, May 20, 2002

Nancy Kaufman's remarks from the memorial service, February 9, 2002

Thoughts and tributes From colleagues on the discussion board that was created at the time of John's death follow.

Hey, John... May your passing from the physical world to one of endless joy be peaceful and rewarding. Thank you for the research you and endless crusade against a deadly, no remorse killer. PEACE!
Joseph E. Howard, Monday, April 08, 2002

John impressed me deeply as an internist, scholar, and moral being. He influenced me to teake on Smoking Cessation as a major professional interest and in each encounter with a patient. The good that he has done with his life's work is enormous and incalculable.His life and work, all too brief, were a gift to a troubled world.
Ellen Cosgrove, MD Associate Dean, UNM School of Medicine, Monday, February 25, 2002

I first knew John Slade by his words in print fourteen years ago. I read the things he said, which impressed me enormously, giving me guidance and courage, and I treasure his words set down on the left hand side of the cover of my copy of Dr. Glantz' The Cigarette Papers. It's strange how much I gained from his life, and now give in turn to him, my deepest gratitude.
Merrell Williams, Sunday, February 24, 2002

In January 2002,I saw John at a meeting of a committee on which we both served. He had to leave before the meeting ended, so there was not an opportunity to speak with him directly. I e-mailed him several days later and received this response which I shared with another colleague on the committee. She thought that it should be posted on John's memorial page, so here it is: Dear John, It was wonderful to see you at the meeting the other day. We have all missed your leadership. And of course, your wonderful smile and bow tie! The residual effects of the stroke must be very frustrating to you at times, but please know that those of us who have had the privilege of getting to know and work with you on the Tobacco Dependence Treatment Advisory Committee admire your courage and tenacity enormously and are very glad to have you back! John's response follows: Dear Mary - Thank you for your kind note. It was good to see you as well. You are perceptive: it is frustrating to be fatigued and not up to do nearly as much as I would like. At the same time, things have gotten better. There are many things that once were easier (before my illness), but there are also lots of things that are better in the past few months. Regards -
John Mary Germain, College of Nursing, SUNY-Downstate medical Center, Saturday, February 23, 2002

John Slade was a leader and a mentor to many of us. He modeled perseverance and he modeled the mechanics of creating attitudinal shifts that then turned into outright paradigm shifts. He brought people into the struggle with his passion and articulate outrage, backed up by research and experience. In our case in Massachusetts he inspired and early on helped to nurture a project similar to his own Addressing Tobacco in the Prevention and Treatment of Other Addictions. He and his staff envisioned that drug free also includes nicotine free. He did not write off smoking among alcoholics and addicts as something to be left alone or a hopeless cause or not as serious as other addictions. He recognized that education and treatment were needed for staff and clients, that there was interest in quitting, that systems could change and the definition of chemical dependence could expand to include the primary addiction of most folks with substance abuse: tobacco. In the chemical dependence treatment field, we often say, “A drug is a drug is a drug.” John really held us to it. I will always remember him for his inability to write off anyone as being above or beyond or not eligible for this message of hope: that people can try to quit, and can recover from, nicotine dependence, whatever the “prevailing wisdom.” We will dedicate our 8th annual Department of Public Health-funded conference to him in Massachusetts this April, “A New Vision of Recovery: Understanding and Responding to Tobacco’s Impact.” I will miss his warmth, his interest, his approachability. I already miss his take on the tobacco companies’ latest shenanigans. He had a huge impact on my thinking and my work, and I miss him. The work continues, with Dr. John Slade in mind.
Janet Smeltz, TAPE Project, Institute for Health and Recovery, Thursday, February 21, 2002

Last week, the world lost a brilliant, inspirational, compassionate, humble and truly remarkable public health champion, Dr. John Slade. John was an internationally acclaimed physician, professor, researcher and health activist, whose work has been responsible for saving thousands of lives from drug addictions, primarily tobacco. John was the first member of STAT (Stop Teenage Addiction to Tobacco), the grassroots activist organization founded by Joe Tye that put the issue onto the national radar screen. I had the pleasure of serving on STAT's board of directors with John since 1990. John coined the term "pediatric epidemic", later used by FDA Commissioner David Kessler to describe the rampant tobacco addiction among our nation's youth. Dr. Kessler and the FDA also relied upon John in developing its historic, albeit short lived, tobacco regulations. John Slade also was the nation's preeminent leader in integrating the treatment of tobacco addiction with the treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol, cocaine, heroin and other drug addictions. These are but a few of John's many achievements. And for more than a decade, John Slade was a dear friend of mine. He will be sorely missed.
Bill Godshall, Thursday, February 21, 2002

Is there an individual or organization in tobacco control that John Slade hasn't inspired or influenced, or an aspect of this field that he didn't help initiate or advance? He was the Renaissance man of tobacco control. Even in medical school, he was ahead of the pack. At Emory University, where we met as medical students in the early 1970s, he undertook an unusual additional year of study before graduation to assist in research on alcohol and drug abuse. We renewed our friendship in 1984 when he invited me to present medical grand rounds on tobacco problems at the hospital in New Jersey at which he practiced. Soon thereafter he established the first lecture series on tobacco issues at any US hospital and wrote a seminal article, "A disease model of cigarette use" (New York State Journal of Medicine 1985;294-298). In the mid-1980s, well before tobacco control became a politically and academically recognized discipline and before the popularization of email, hardly a week went by that John, Greg Connolly, and I did not spend hours on the phone sharing observations about tobacco issues. Roommates at the Tokyo conference, we debated strategies for so long we hardly slept. When he stayed at my home in Houston a few years ago, John and I sat up all night in our pyjamas exchanging slides and tobacco promotional items like two kids trading baseball cards. We laughed at how our collections were literally overflowing our homes, and remarked at how blessed we were that our wives accepted and understood our commitment to studying and ending the tobacco pandemic. John's contributions to New Jersey GASP, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the FDA, Father Michael Crosby's tobacco shareholder resolutions, and countless other organizations, legislatures, and conferences are legendary. But his wit and sense of irony were as keen as his scholarly works. My favorite John Slade story relates to when he conceived of the idea to attend a major tobacco industry trade fair in Virginia. After being greeted with suspicion by the various exhibitors, he calmly stated that was an "analyst" hoping to write about the industry. Upon hearing that, they all handed him copies of their most recent financial reports, available only to the industry, believing that their companies would receive favorable publicity from this distinguished...stock market analyst. I can't imagine tobacco control without John Slade.
Alan Blum, MD, Thursday, February 21, 2002

It is with a heavy heart and considerable personal sadness I reflect on the passing of John Slade, a wonderful man, a close colleague and a truly effective tobacco control researcher and activist. Reading the numerous accolades and kind words being posted on-line about John by his other friends and colleagues warms my heart. There is nothing much more I can add that hasn't been said or will be said about John. My last phone call from John is illustrative of what kind a man John was. I worked and collaborated with John for several years while both of us served on the STAT Board of Directors, directed various RWJF-funded tobacco/substance abuse policy research projects, and on other local, state, national and federal tobacco control activities. After I dropped out of tobacco a few years ago due to ill health, John and I kept in touch less and less through letters and e-mails. Then about a year and half ago out of the blue he tracked down my new phone number and called me to voice his personal concern over my poor health and deteriorating medical condition. It was wonderful to hear from him and get caught up. He said nothing about his medical condition, and instead wished me a full and speedy recovery from my eleven by-pass heart operation and two operations for compressed fractures in five of my vertebrae. I knew nothing about his poor health. John's effort to reach me and express his concern over my health was typical of him. As a prominent and nationally respected tobacco control researcher and activist, he had always been very kind and generous to me and my tobacco program staff in embracing and supporting our work as local yokel tobacco activists here in the sticks of rural, out of the way Northern California. John was a good friend and an inspiration to me, and I will think about him a lot and what he meant to my staff and me. Many other persons in tobacco control and nicotine addiction fields will do the same. And remember his ever-present bow tie. God bless you John Slade.
Rick Kropp, Thursday, February 21, 2002

I met Dr. Slade at the STAT 95' conference when I first became involved in tobacco control. He showed me that there were indeed people speaking out and working together in the movement, and he brought me great inspiration. I will always remember him as a great leader in the field.
Jennifer Holtz, Thursday, February 21, 2002

The comments preceding my own not only speak to the fine qualities of John, but also say a lot about the love and support he helped to build within our commuity. I had the honor to work with him in the arly days of STAT and DOC, when health acitvists met together to plan out our battles (like the Statue of Nicotina taking satirical swipes at Philip Morris's Bill of Rights Parade), and to give eachother strength to continue to fight. I felt like I was attending a meeting of the Legion of Super Heroes in those days. John will always remain a giant within the public health community.
Bob Jaffe, Wednesday, February 20, 2002

"John was a leader - and a nurturer of leadership in many others; an innovator - and a celebrant of innovation in others. He defied conventional wisdom: · "Tobacco is not an addiction." He led the struggle to prove that nicotine was, indeed, among our most addictive drugs, licit or illicit. · "All tobacco products are alike in the harm they cause." John opened new avenues of exploration and opened our minds to new possibilities in harm reduction. · "To talk to tobacco company product developers is to lose your soul." : No one - no one - had clearer vision of the villainy of the tobacco companies, but John understood that there were useful insights that tobacco control science could gain from listening even to them. This openness - against the anxious counsel of colleagues - allowed John to provide the scientific underpinnings for the most ambitious regulatory initiative ever taken to control tobacco products, that of FDA Commissioner David Kessler in the early 1990's. In his book, A Question of Intent; A Great American Battle with a Deadly Industry, Kessler wrote: From his modest outpost at a New Jersey community hospital, where he witnessed the toll taken by tobacco on a daily basis, Slade became passionate about tobacco, and the way in which the FDA might regulate it. Over the years, he scoured the libraries and read everything he could find about the history and public health aspects of tobacco. He asked friends in banking and advertising to funnel information about the industry to him and he subscribed to trade journals...From the beginning of our investigation, he sent us a steady stream of information. "
Mike Pertschuk, Wednesday, February 20, 2002

I will always remember John for the tactful and yet factual way in which he ended a discussion that he was having with a member of Congress from one of the tobacco states on the regressive nature of tobacco taxes. John asked the Congressmen if he would care to calculate the regressivity of cancer and heart disease? We changed topics soon after that.
Prabhu Ponkshe, Monday, February 18, 2002

John clearly stood tall and remained focused in his mission. He led the way! He was a scholar and a scientist!
Philip Horowitz-Sunrise House Foundation, Monday, February 18, 2002

I join with everyone else who knew John. There clearly were no "facets" to John -- all of us who knew him, slightly or well, describes the same person. Selfless, gently ironic, soft-spoken and modest, brilliant, unswerving, totally dedicated to fighting the industry, an original thinker, and the nicest person you could hope to meet. I've known John since the mid-'80's. He wrote a couple of important articles for our Tobacco Products Litigation Reporter debunking the industry's "constitutional hypothesis" (that some factor X both makes people smoke and gives them lung cancer!), and continued as our Medical Editor until his death. He combined a commitment to cutting edge advocacy while being equally involved in cutting edge addiction science, taking his turn as President of STAT and staying active on its Board for many years, while also equally involved with the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. As Nancy pointed out, his contributions to the FDA's analysis were critical (David Kessler kept turning to John for information or confirmation during the televised hearings), and his focus on "trinkets and trash" brought this crucial marketing device into public view, leading to the provisions in state settlements addressing and suppressing this practice. I will miss him terribly.
Dick Daynard, Saturday, February 16, 2002

Everlasting memory . And long live to his work serving people's health.
Natalia Alexeeva, Wednesday, February 13, 2002

I will always remember John fondly, most especially for his recognizing an entrenched opponent that acts in a way that is fundamentally and morally wrong and his fighting to change that reality. I felt a special bond with John as I joined him at tobacco company shareholder meetings to speak up for the health and safety of those who could not speak for themselves in that forum. I miss him. I will keep his family in my prayers.
Ed Sweda, Tuesday, February 12, 2002

I have known John for over ten years now. I believe we met at the first STAT conference.We talked and exchanged ideas at meetings and occasionally over the phone. Like many others , I noticed the quiet demeanor first, then that twinkle in the eyes when we talked about tobacco companies.It was great to have an academic colleague that was a real tobacco activist. Not one whose sole interest was only writing research papers. I was deeply saddened when I heard of his death , and more so when I heard the cause. We have lost a true leader that obviously had a tremendous impact on thousands of activists, researchers and lay people around the world. The rest of us have a large void to fill. I will miss him.
Joel Dunnington MD, Tuesday, February 12, 2002

Dear John: We are all struggling to understand but also struggling with the void your departure has left in our lives. If only you had known how many lives you touched and how sorely you will be missed, maybe things would have turned out differently. You were special in so many ways, to so many people--colleagues, family, and patients alike--I wish you could understand the effect that you have had on all of us. Even if you were a little off of your prime, you were still better than most of us. For those of us left behind, we will never be the same. Careers have been built with your encouragement and support. These careers and the projects that you started will in part be your legacy to the field of addiction medicine. You made a mark that is etched in the memory of thousands, and your efforts to help others will live on as far as we can see. We would not want to make you bigger in death than you were in life, but we don’t have words which even begin to describe your impact on your fellow human beings. Your self-sufficiency was remarkable. You never asked for very much, but you were always willing to give even when you knew it would be difficult for you to do so. You had the highest levels of integrity, honesty, loyalty, as well as being a caring and compassionate physician. Though you were soft-spoken, when you spoke, people listened. You devotion to your wife and your family was legendary, and you were a friend whom I could always call on for help. You changed the field of addiction medicine by your visionary leadership. Though you never sought glory or accolades, they were there for you. You brought people together, then created the synergy to move the field of addiction medicine to accept tobacco dependence into the mainstream. This is in part because of your outstanding intellect, combined with an indefatigable work ethic and the fact that you led by example. As you know, Max Schneider often said that the smartest thing he ever did as president of ASAM was to appoint you to chair its Nicotine Dependence Committee. Your kind, considerate, gentle, and soft-spoken way and genuine interest in others made it possible for you to lead all of us. I will miss you greatly as you were my friend, my colleague, and my peer for whom I had the greatest respect and held in the highest esteem. I will personally miss not being able to talk with you about our shared passion for this profession but also about personal things such as family and friends. I will miss your smile and the way you would tip your head to the right, arch your left eyebrow, and the gleam in your eye when you knew you had scored a point or hit a homerun. I am relatively certain that heaven is tobacco-free, but if for some reason it isn’t, it likely will be by the time some of the rest of us arrive. No doubt, John, you will take that project on with the same vigor as you did on this Earth and will make great strides to make life better for you and all the other angels.
Richard D. Hurt, M.D., Monday, February 11, 2002

Many memories of John flooded back today as I sat with the hundreds of other family members, friends, and colleagues who mourned his loss. The first memory that came to me was when we sat together in my living room sharing our pain over conflictual family relationship issues. I reminded him -as I so often have to remind myself - that addiction battles are spiritual battles as well - that the enemy loves to attack us where we are most vulnerable. My next memory was of the CO kit hiding under his pew seat in church that I often asked to borrow for nicotine addiction training in Russia, Romania, or Egypt. "One or two more lives saved," I would share with him upon my return. Even though he never could join me on one of these addiction recovery mission training trips, I packed his educational research,along with the CO meter, and his unseen encouraging presence in my suitcase. My most painful memory was visiting with him for a few brief minutes after his stroke. My husband Jack, who had a stroke because of his smoking twenty years ago, was with me and told him, "John, you can recover, too." He attributes his own success in quitting smoking after the stroke to John's medical advice and guidance. Yet, the depression that often follows a stroke kept John from hearing Jack's encouraging words. John, we will carry on the fight for health vs bondage to addiction - even to the ends of the earth. Mary Theresa Webb, Director of the GOAL Project, Princeton, NJ.
Terry Webb, Saturday, February 09, 2002

Today, as the memorial service for John is being held, I am reflecting again on John's life as I have repeatedly since learning of his death. I hope I may be indulged for posting a second note about John, but I feel the need. One of my memories today is of the mischievous look John often had in his eyes as he carried out a quiet act of civil disobedience against the tobacco industry; often a simple act, but one which reflected the depth of his feelings and his knowledge that every such act was a part of the overall campaign to end the carnage caused by tobacco use. For example, it was not uncommon to be standing in a hotel lobby at a conference with John and see him silently drift away from the group and over to a cigarette vending machine, where he would discretely take something out of his pocket and force it into the coin slot, thereby jamming the machine. He would return to the group, saying nothing, but, if you looked him in the eyes and he was aware that you'd observed his actions, you'd see that wonderful and knowing mischievousness. In his brilliance and insights, John stood above us all, but he also led us with his courage and humble civil disobedience. He was, indeed, tobacco control's Gandhi, with all the meaning that has, and he will be missed, revered and followed just as Gandhi still is. Jim Bergman, The Center for Tobacco-Free Older Persons, The Center for Social Gerontology, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Jim Bergman, Saturday, February 09, 2002

I have had the great personal and professional privilege of coming to know and work with John Slade over the past two years, as we both served on the Tobacco Dependence Treatment Advisory Committee to the N.J. Commissioner of Health. With his worldwide reputation as the pre-eminent scholar on tobacco addiction and treatment preceding him, John was the acknowledged leader of the Committee. He assumed that role with grace and style, leading by example with his unparalleled expertise while actively encouraging collaborative, interdisciplinary sharing of ideas and initiatives. As I read the comments that precede my own, I am becoming even more acutely aware of just how much this great, yet gentle man, has meant to patients, the world and his many friends and colleagues. His untimely death challenges each of us to honor his memory by carrying his work forward. I will miss my colleague and friend with the signature bow tie, gentle smile and shy wit enormously. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Francis and his family. Goodbye and Godspeed.
Mary Germain, College of Nursing, Downstate Medical Center, Friday, February 08, 2002

How fortunate I am to have known and worked with John Slade for 15 years. He was committed and dedicated to all our collaborations. Our most recent one: A Conversation about Managing Tobacco Dependence will be released shortly and sadly, posthumously. Good bye dear friend and colleague.
Ronnie Davidson, Friday, February 08, 2002

As per John's wishes, I am going to make a donation to Francis' choral organization. However, I am going to make a matching contribution to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill P.O. Box 79972 Baltimore, MD 21279-0972 (703) 524-7600 www.nami.org The reason is that I believe that John's death was directly related to his depression and that it was not a rational act nor reflective of John's renowned rationale. It was, unfortunately, brilliantly rationalized and, true to John's ability, brilliantly creative in his ability to arrange this while maintaining correspondence and collaborations with apparently so many of us (I received my last bit of guidance from him approximately 24 hours before his death). I am not sure that any of us could have done anything, and that is reflective of one of the many research challenges that NAMI and NIMH continue to explore, namely, how do you keep someone from stopping potential life saving treatment. By this, I do not mean to imply that John had no responsibility or reason for taking his life, but it offers a perspective to recall one of the main side-effects which kept the antipsychotic drug reserpine from being more widely used - depression and suicide - the point here being that depression is a disease which includes responses such as suicide and that in one sense such a death is no more voluntary than that from an MI in a person with cardiovascular disease. NAMI and NIMH have helped many to avoid John's course but we obviously have a long way to go in this area of health. John was a brilliant analyst, a beautiful person, and a wonderful friend whom I miss so badly so constantly. I do not believe that he ever would have "rationally" made such a catastrophically wrong decision or deliberately hurt so many, especially Francis. But, I do believe in the power of depression to have set him on such a course.
Jack Henningfield, Friday, February 08, 2002

Sometimes you meet a person who leaves an indelible mark on you - changing the way you think or approach a problem. Dr. Slade was that kind of person. His presence is one that I expect will stay with me for a long time. I will miss his leadership and guidance. Ann Russell, NJ Department of Health and Senior Services, Public Health Practice Standards Committee
Ann Russell. Friday, February 08, 2002

I come to this page with a still heavy heart. Like so many of us, I have labored mightily this past week to keep John alive and with us, through memories, conversation, sharing stories and working to make his countless contributions apparent and enriching even to those who did not know him. What I have learned is that I will always do this -- find ways to keep John present so he can continue to inspire and enrich my life and my work. There could be no more caring friend than John, no more dedicated mentor, no wiser tobacco control warrior, no more inspiring leader, no deeper heart. His humanitarianism and clarity of vision made him our moral touchstone. The mischief in his eyes and the joy he took in his relationships with each of us have been another gift. I mourn his loss, I am grateful for the many ways in which he has touched us all.
Tracy Orleans, Thursday, February 07, 2002

I first met John years ago when he became a member of the Public Health Council of NJ, at whch time I was President. My only contact with him over the years was at our monthly meetings. From the beginning he always impressed me as being brilliant, very logical in his thinking and verbal expression, humble, and with leadership qualities. He understood not only the field of public health thoroughly, but also how to commandeer through the legislature necessary public health needs. As we all know, he was an authority on tobacco and nicotine addiction, and dedicated his life's work to the elimination of this public health problem. I will miss John very much as a colleague, and The Public Health Council will miss him equally as one of it's members.
Milton Prystowski, MD. Wednesday, February 06, 2002

It was 1991 and John contacted me regarding a new job working with tobacco problems. I'd had lots of experience in the addictions field but never dealing with tobacco. John had a vision: People getting well from alcohol and other drug addiction should be given an opportunity to become free from tobacco dependence. Ironies and hypocrisies were many as we proceeded. John called it as he saw it. We had no takers among New Jersey's addictions treatment providers. John was unwaivering and resolute. I was enthusiastic and challenged. John took me in--we both had an interest in advertising. I'd been to one of his talks and had the utmost respect for his style and that of Jean Kilbourne. I studied and became vigilant. The tobacco industry had hooked my mother in the 40's. John's approach was fresh. Here was something to do that really would make a difference. The days and months that followed were nothing short of life-changing. John was generous and empowering. He gave me many opportunities. I travelled to study what had been done thus far in dealing with tobacco in addictions. I met the pioneers in this work: Geraldine Delaney, Terry Rustin, Richard Hurt, Lori Karan, Abe Twerski, and others. John coached me to present talks on the subject. I traveled to Ontario and other U.S. states to spread the word. John introduced me to tobacco control advocates and he took me to shareholders meetings and to the world tobacco or health conferences in Argentina and Paris to learn the big picture. Meanwhile, a little project was stirring the pot in New Jersey and the treatment programs were all in a flurry. John was a great mentor. He strengthened my resolve, gave me courage, made me question, taught me to discuss the ironies, and left me to develop into my own professional self. John comforted me when my mother died of lung cancer in 1993. While John was tougher than nails with the adversaries in the tobacco industry, he had a gentle touch when he helped patients deal with their own tobacco addiction. John freely shared a new vocabulary. He defined and refined. The Project that had been just a vision became a state focus. When I left the Addressing Tobacco Project in 1995, it was a small but vital program just working on problems in the addictions field. That all changed within the next 5 years. Another of John's visions was to create a major tobacco dependence program for New Jersey. A staff of six became a staff of more than twenty and the program widened it's approach to dealing with a broad range of problems caused by tobacco. When I got the news of John's death a week ago, I wandered back to the program offices, to comfort and be comforted. My heart was and is heavy but I was heartened to behold all of the people John touched and the wellspring of good deeds that came from such a generous human being. Yes, this is a great loss. I wish Frances and the rest of John's loved ones Godspeed. May John's life be a blessing to all who were part of his life.
Abby Hoffman, Wednesday, February 06, 2002

John and I worked together on the public health council. On one occasion I commented to him that in the early years his strong views about tobacco were not so widely shared. I asked him how he managed the slings and arrows that came his way. He answered me in a calm and reasoned tone saying, with the following words; "well Miriam, When you know you are right, you just take the position and wait for the rest of the folks to join you". Those of us who were privileged to know him and to work with him will always remember him as a man of integrity, honor and decency. He will be sorely missed.
Miriam Cohen, Tuesday, February 05, 2002

From a young age, John Slade was one of the most distinguished, and enthusiastic, members of the Medical Society of New Jersey. In discussions about tobacco control policies, and how to influence politicians and news media and the public, John always applied one bedrock criterion: What approach will produce the greatest reduction in the numbers of kids and adults who suffer from tobacco use.
Neil Weisfeld, Tuesday, February 05, 2002

We mourn with you over the loss of such a wonderful man. I secretely considered John like a big brother. He was wise, brilliant, generous, and caring. He loved to see people grow, especially when growing someone benefitted the public's health. We both looked at tobacco through epidemiologic lenses. I loved it when he called with a new idea or an analysis to suggest. I always learned something from my interactions with John. During the FDA process, I often called John to sharpen my thoughts on addiction issues. He was a rock of wisdom and strength. I pray that God gives you all the strength you need at this time.
Gary Giovino, Tuesday, February 05, 2002

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." taken from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran. It has been an honor to work with Dr. Slade and he has left a legacy which we will work hard to fulfill.
Amelia Khalil, Tuesday, February 05, 2002

As a NJ Legislative Services staffer, I served with Dr. Slade on New Jersey's SYNAR Task Force back in the mid-90's. I greatly regret his loss to the prevention and treatment effort here. We're all indebted to the work he's done in this State and nationally over the years. Dan Ben-Asher, Tuesday, February 05, 2002

About 6 months ago, I emailed John Slade out of the blue, asking him for direction with my career and with tobacco prevention, as I am in my Preventive medicine residency at Tulane. Without hesitating, even though he had some trouble speaking, we began to have long phone conversations about tobacco. He spent all the time he could, up till the VERY end, teaching myself and others about the destructive capabilities of tobacco. From my conversations over the past few months, John (as he forced me to start calling him!) showed me what the definition of having a passion for something really means. He got me on the right track, one which I plan to stay on for a lifetime. It's really not fair. He spent his life helping others extend their lives. I hope we all can make his life's work come together. Take care, John.
David Damsker, Tuesday, February 05, 2002

Working with Dr. Slade on the New Jersey Department of Health's Public Health Council was always a challenge. He always came prepared and advocated for cancer control related issues. He once said "why are we funding rats (he meant of Urban Rodent Control) when there are cancer prevention programs that need the money". He always reminded me of one of my Harvard professors in his classic "bow ties". I will personally miss him, but he will be missed even more by those he championed for! Thanks for all you did to get the Tobacco Settlement Funds to New Jersey! Without you, we would not have funding for prostate and colorectal cancers and additional funds for breast and cervical cancers! Your friend and colleague,
Doreleena Sammons-Posey Project Director New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection Program(NJCEED), Tuesday, February 05, 2002

For years, and I certainly would never tell anyone, I was envious and in awe of John Slade's courage and his basic integrity. Those traits aren't transferable or awarded at some banquet or conference. Our field is full of those come latelys who find a larger audience and a better way to say what has already been said and who seem to bask in their own importance until another issue is happening. Measure an advocate not by their splash into the limelight but by the fact they were there when it wasn't fashionable and when they were almost the only voice in the crowd. Single issue, single focus, tells you today what they said yesterday and will risk everything they have for the cause. Many of us in the alcoholism and drug abuse fields thought of John Slade as someone trying to make a difference and in most instances he was tolerated but when he went after mob owned cigarette dispensing machines in Middlesex County NJ we feared for his safety and in fact, his life. We were the ones who were who were under John Slade's quiet and yet forceful attack. He was everywhere. No one could make a presentation on the public health consequences of alcoholism, teach about addictions or safely attend a conference without this strange and almost seductive physician coming out of the audience to protest that "smoking was a far greater public health problem than all the other addictions combined." At that time there were limited non-smoking areas on planes; no smoke free restaurants; smoking at your desk was just fine; psychiatric and treatment centers allowed smoking to ease the pains of therapy and I personally had convinced a Seventh Day Adventist Hospital that the four bed detox unit had to allow smoking because the patients couldn't withdraw from two addictions at the same time. Besides the counselors needed a place to smoke. John Slade was swimming upstream, he was spitting into the wind and even when he began to present data on smoking and the consequences we simply ignored the data. We had work to accomplish and John Slade was blurring the facts. Could we ever clone another with the bow-tie and the quiet but powerful advocacy. Eventually if someone really believes in the validity of their cause it pulls others to listen, to feel the energy and excitement and to join. John Slade got us all hooked on his work, his love and passion. Just tell us what you want and we will do it. You can't be an advocate at the national level until you can make a difference in your own home town. NJ was John's home town. What a day it was when, with John and Geraldine O Delaney (an advocate long before any of us) in the lead, we became the first state to make our entire rehab system smoke free. Now John had us doing things that weren't yet fashionable. John's death is something I will never fully understand but then I am only mortal. The news hit me harder than I could have ever predicted. I was fortunate to see and be with John in Atlanta this past September and had only seen him briefly two times since I left NJ. John and I worked together from the early 80's, we taught together and at times compared notes about where the field of addictions should go. John became a giant in his own way and made such a difference that he will be remembered in ways that we might only imagine. Passion. Persistence. Know you are right. Don't waste time with the enemy. Know the facts. Leadership? John Slade was the definition of a leader. I still can't believe he is gone. My heart goes out to the family and to Francis my deepest and best possible prayers for your recovery from this untimely event. Let go Let God. This too shall pass.
Riley R Greentown IN, Tuesday, February 05, 2002

I met John in Buenos Aires in April, 1992. I was profoundly and instantaneously impressed by his extreme generosity. I had not even met him for 15 minutes, and he was already giving me an entire set of tapes and slides so that I could, as he said, "spread the word". I will always remember him. Gracias por el ejemplo, John.
Elmer E. Huerta, Monday, February 04, 2002

John was as generous a person as I've ever met - generous with his time, his energy, his expertise, his passion and his good humor. He brought a unique insight to every issue; he saw things from angles most of us never considered. But even though he was always several steps ahead of the rest of us, he never acted like it. John always acted like he had as much to learn from me as I did from him - even though that was quite clearly never the case. That was just his manner with everyone. I believe that when Joe Tye was first organizing STAT, he called John for advice. John responded by asking if he could be the first paying member. I can't think of a better example of the way he mentored new people and new ideas. What a great, great guy he was. I really miss him.
Phil Wilbur, Monday, February 04, 2002

My memories of John:
As a mid-level addiction services bureaucrat at the NJ State Department of Health I had occasion to meet John in presenting proposals to the Public Health Council. John participated with perspicacious critique. At decision-making time he offered eloquent support of proposed projects. I learned to be grateful to know he would be there participating usefully and fully.
Later on, in the 1989-90 era, I had an opportunity to write the Healthy New Jersey 2000 and state health plan addiction chapters. I was inclined to think that smoking was an addiction like that to alcohol and drugs but this was not a popular view at that time. John began to educate me. With the approval of the Office of the Commissioner I began to write as if alcohol and drug programs should screen and refer for nicotine addiction just as primary care settings should screen and offer motivational counseling for alcohol, tobacco and drug risk and dependence.

John was my mentor for how to word these radical ideas in such a way that they were strong and accurate. I was stunned by how fast and detailed were his responses as we made our way through numerous critical review processes. Although the state health plan document was overturned by the courts because it recommended closing hospitals, the long term care and addiction chapters were widely cited as visionary templates for planning in these areas.
I was teaching the alcohol, tobacco and drug policy course at Rutgers School of Social Work and decided to teach from his book Nicotine Addiction. Students felt “the scales fall from their eyes” as they learned the mechanisms of nicotine addiction. This work was prodigious. I was encouraging him (and co-author Tracy Orleans) to write a second edition.
The Governor wanted research on raising the tobacco tax. Our office prepared several policy papers. John put us in touch with Andy Maguire, David Sweanor, Ken Warner and Frank Chaloupka who helped develop a model using New Jersey population statistics to predict how many New Jersey youngsters would not start or would stop smoking at each potential percentage point of tax increase. Although this did not pass at once, we identified opponents and their objections and began to incrementally educate and “wear down” their resistance. Also, the advocacy community was mobilized. So, the next time it came up, it did pass.

John created the first training and technical assistance outreach unit to help the alcohol and drug providers and advocates to overcome their resistance and do the right thing by addressing tobacco. His people and publications were so widely respected and used that he defused opposition to a licensing requirement that all health care facilities – not just hospitals – become smoke-free.
John created the first summer school of alcohol studies tobacco seminars, lectures and classes. He taught them and mentored others to teach them.
After I retired from the State I became an assistant professor and John recruited me to come to the new School of Public Health at UMDNJ to help to run an exciting new program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the purpose of giving awards for outstanding contributions to the fields of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug problems. He was very excited about the potential for increasing the visibility and credibility of the field and its heroes and heroines.
He loved reading nominations for innovators awards and applications for fellowships. Meeting finalists was also an honor and a joy. He was reachable at all times for the work. He was proud of everyone’s work while at the same time maintaining exacting and high standards. He wanted continuous quality improvement before the term had been coined.

John was a gentle man who was thoughtful of staff birthdays and other personal milestones. He found the right remark or bit of advice for the occasion. He offered nuggets of personal self-disclosure but always pertinent to the occasion and never in a way that found fault or gave offense. He was beloved by all who knew and worked with him.
One of the things we wanted to do was to create a course or a series of courses at the graduate level in addiction medicine, science and policy. We were going to supplement the Rutgers Center on Alcohol series by covering a different set of topics and substances. We had already talked about who would teach what parts and some of the core readings.
Another dream we had was a Center for Tobacco Studies with museum style display of the trinkets and trash memorabilia. Students would write grants for course credit and conduct projects and research in the “all-addiction-model” to help overcome the artificial barriers between substances and areas of practice. Policy activism would be a core competency.
I cannot believe that we are without him yet. Nonetheless, I know that he lives on in his work and in all the people he touched and influenced. His quiet personal dignity and “over-the-top” commitment to his work are inspirational for all who come next.
Nancy L. Fiorentino Deputy Director Innovators Program, Monday, February 04, 2002

This is the saddest news for all of us who were privileged to have worked with John. But in this saddest of moments, I think we can be comforted in the legacy that he leaves behind, the pioneering work he did for the field, and the tenacious spirit that resulted in so many victories on behalf of those who suffer from addiction. I learned a great deal from John, and it was a gift to have known and worked with him for almost 15 years. I will miss him.
Marilyn Aguirre-Molina, Monday, February 04, 2002

John Slade was a leader in the global tobacco control movement for as long as I can remember. He provided a quiet intensity and intellect that few matched.
Over the years I always respected John’s work, but did not work closely with him because we concentrated on different aspects of the tobacco epidemic: he concentrated on nicotine pharmacology, cessation, and tobacco promotion while I worked on nonsmokers rights and clean indoor air.

Our interests converged on May 12, 1994, when I received the now-famous “Mr. Butts Box” of then-secret tobacco industry documents from Brown and Williamson. As I reviewed the documents, it rapidly became obvious that they warranted a careful analysis by experts in tobacco control. Many of these documents dealt with nicotine addiction. It was also obvious that I did not have the depth of knowledge that was required to analyze these documents.
The first name that came to mind was John Slade. John not only had the scientific knowledge that was required, but also was steeped in the policy implications of this knowledge.
Despite the fact that he was already overcommitted, John made the time it took to wade through, organize, and analyze thousands of pages of industry documents. John not only took the lead on analyzing the documents on nicotine addiction, but also the health effects of smoking and issues surrounding use of additives in cigarettes.
In addition to this major effort, John participated actively in the team that analyzed all the documents. He offered careful and insightful criticism of everyone else’s work and took others’ criticism of his work to heart.
In an unusual reversal of roles, I found myself toning down some of John’s conclusions. It seemed that every section of his analysis of the nicotine addiction documents ended “... and that’s why the FDA should be given jurisdiction to regulate nicotine and tobacco products.”

The result of this work was an unprecedented series of 5 papers in JAMA (July 19, 1995), followed by the book The Cigarette Papers. This work has had major impact on public policy and litigation worldwide. There is no question that John’s work was central to this impact.

John also directly impacted my life (and many others) through his leadership of the RWJ Innovators’ Award. When nominated, I did not believe that RWJ would actually be willing to support my work. John convinced me to try.
The result was my SmokeFreeMovies advocacy project, which is designed to end the use of American movies as powerful tobacco promotional devices. If this project succeeds, it will have a huge positive impact on smoking, particularly among children and, probably, young adults. Any success will reflect John’s quiet commitment to tobacco control as much or more than anything I do. It was John, after all, who created the opportunity. That is the true mark of a leader.
Stanton A. Glantz, Monday, February 04, 2002

My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Nellie Sagastume UMDNJ - School of Public Health Tobacco Surveillance and Evaluation Program 335 George St., Suite 2200 New Brunswick, NJ 08901, Monday, February 04, 2002

A visionary thinker, a sincere and effective advocate, a great educator, a kind man with a warm smile and powerful intellect, Dr. John Slade enriched humanity with his life and work. His legacy will live on in each life that is saved from the destruciton of tobacco addiction as well as the gentle memories we all have. It was a privilege for me and the staff and board of the New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, Inc. to know Dr. Slade and to work with him. We send our deepest sympathies and friendship to his family, staff and friends at this sad time.
Debra L. Wentz, New Jersey Association of Mental Health Agencies, Inc., Monday, February 04, 2002

To: Frances Slade and Family On behalf of the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association in Canada, I wish to send our deep sympathy to you and to your family on the occasion of John’s death. Like so many others, I have been reading the moving tributes of John’s many friends and colleagues. We too acknowledge John’s outstanding scholarship, warmth, compassion, leadership and commitment. John was a gentleman and a gentle man. He was also a giant in tobacco control. Our Association, indeed all in tobacco control in Canada, will miss him enormously. Our best wishes to you Frances and to all in your family. We wish you well at a difficult time.
Garfield Mahood Executive Director Non-Smokers’ Rights Association 720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 221 Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 2T9 email: gmahood@nsra-adnf.ca, Monday, February 04, 2002

My memories of John Slade are of someone who trielessly worked to help free people from tobacco addiction. John is probably the most important mentor that I have ever had. He contacted me in 1993 after reading something I had written abut treating tobacco dependence in teens in drug treatment and asked if he could visit the program where I worked. He did visit, and inspired all of us to work toward a tobacco-free program which we have since established. We worked on several projects together and he encouraged me to write up some work that I had done with Sue Roberts and Nancy Deeschemaker for publication, which we did spurred on by him. It was his work at addressing tobacco in New Jersey that inspired the Alameda County AtOD provider Network that I direct which has followed his lead in promoting tobacco-free drug and mental health treatment. I was always struck at how John's interest in my work inspired me to learn more about tobacco and drug treatment and served as the underpining for the tobacco work I have done during the past 10 years. I feel a tremendous sense of loss that he will not be there to run things by or get input from in the future but I know that he has changed the face of tobacco treatment and that he has many followers who will dedicate our continued work to his memory as I will.
Cathy McDonald, Project Director, Alameda County ATOD provider network, Monday, February 04, 2002

John Slade was not only a brilliant researcher and devoted advocate for public health and tobacco control, he was also one of the most kind, friendly, encouraging persons I knew. Not one to let his ego interfere with work or friendship, John was one of the persons who inspired us, leading by example and taking part in so many facets of our movement. He nearly single-handedly brought tobacco control to the fore at the American Society for Addiction Medicine, for example; was a key consultant to the FDA on nicotine and addiction; and through STAT (Stop Teenage Addiction to Tobacco) worked on many issues that helped us think about the “pediatric disease” of tobacco use. His collaboration with Stan Glantz on the Brown and Williamson papers is a classic, monumental work. It's a loss for tobacco control and health, and for many of us, a very personal tragedy. We will miss him greatly.
Tom Houston American Medical Association Co-Director, SmokeLess States, Monday, February 04, 2002

My condolences to John's family for their loss. John was the David against the Goliath of the tobacco industry and a good fellow. He was one of the most dedicated physicians I have ever known and his good work and kind demeanor will be missed but always remembered.
John Brick, Ph.D., MA Fellow, American Psychological Association Director, Intoxikon International Research, Monday, February 04, 2002

I shall always owe Dr. Slade a debt of gratitude for introducing me to the complex maze that is the tobacco industry. I was happy to have had the opportunity to be trained by him through the Center of Alochol Studies workshops. I considered Dr. Slade the tobacco "guru" in New Jersey. I will greatly miss his presence and his expertise. With Deepest Sympathies,
Richard L. Powell, Monday, February 04, 2002

Like so many others, I wish that I had known John better. In the brief time during which we became acquainted at UMDNJ, I was surprised that such contradictory qualities (kindness , compassion, sensitivity, insight, justice-seeking, and a gentle spirit as well as brilliance, political will, star-power, and nothing short of true heroism) co-existed so comfortably in one person. If one can measure the impact of the man by the number of documents in the tobacco industry archives that mention him, then John kicked the tobacco industry's collective butt: Philip Morris: "slade, j" - 414,720 docs RJ Reynolds: "slade j" - 286 docs Brown & Williamson: "slade, j" - 29 docs American Tobacco - "slade, j" - 40 Lorillard: "slade, j" - 135,147 Tobacco Institute: "slade, j" - 35,019 Council for Tobacco Research: "slade j" - 13 Tattered file folders, articles, letters, testimony ... you name it, and you'll find John's name on it in the Tobacco Archives. We should all cause the Tobacco Industry such grief!
Wendy Ritch, Monday, February 04, 2002

John was an effective and wise leader in tobacco control, and a beloved colleague. I will be one of countless others who will deeply mourn his passing. His loss will be difficult to replace. I extend my heartfelt condolences to Frances.
Dr. Lirio S. Covey, Ph.D. Director, Smoking Cessation Research Program Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032 Tel: 212-543-5736 FAX: 212-543-6825, Monday, February 04, 2002

John was a tireless worker for the prevention and treatment of tobacco abuse. I will remember him from many conferences with his passionate and consistent opinions, backed by years of work and research. He also had a great sense of humor. He was a rare man who could use humor to enhance his message on such a serious topic. We will miss him.
Anthony Dekker, DO, FAOAAM, FASAM, FSAM, Monday, February 04, 2002

How deeply saddened we were to hear of John's death. John Slade and Addressing Tobacco provided a clear and practical model for addressing tobacco in programs for substance abusers and those suffering from mental illness. His work was the inspiration and the model for the ATOD NETWORK here in Oakland, CA, which, when started in 1998 became the first project funded by Prop. 99 that addressed tobacco among this population in CA. In March 1999, John was the Keynote Speaker and major presenter for a sold-out conference we conducted along with the CA Society of Addiction Medicine on Addressing Tobacco in Drug Treatment. He was wonderful to work with, an engaging speaker, humble and compassionate. His leadership and knowledge of addiction medicine, particularly tobacco, and his commitment to changing the way we view and treat nicotine addiction provided a beacon for all of us working in this field. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy is legion. We will carry the torch forward in his memory. May God Bless his Spirit.
ATOD NETWORK located at Thunder Road, Oakland, CA Cathy McDonald, MD, MPH, Project Director Judy Gerard, Project Coordinator Debbi Britton, Project Assistant, Monday, February 04, 2002

I've just read the disturbing news of John's passing in the Memoriam from Stan Glantz. My memories of association with John are very meaningful, and I shall treasure the "trash" that he shared with me, classic pieces of "Premier" and "Eclipse". John and I corresponded infrequently for over a decade, and met on the occasions of global conference. During the early 90's the Adventist Church Headquarters in Silver Springs, MD invited John to speak to a group of health leaders, and together we were seeking to update the Church participation in advocacy and tobacco control, not only in the cessation field, for which its work and history was well known. His great contribution from my perspective was the series of articles that informed us of the technology the cigarette had actually undergone, through the manipulation of tobacco company laboratories. Dr Brundtland could scarcely have made her Berlin and New Delhi comments on the properties of the cigarette without John. It summarised his work: "Nicotine is addictive. A cigarette is not just tobacco rolled into a strip of paper. It is a highly engineered product. The tobacco industry has studied our saliva and central nervous systems to determine the right dose of nicotine to deliver so that addiction occurs and is sustained." I feel that this epitomised his visionary leadership. Of course he was acutely interested in menthol and the reasons for its wide use in cigarettes, and this will be a field of study that continues for sometime. We last met in Chicago in 2000, and chatted together in San Diego in 1999 at the Behavioural Medicine Conference. I shall miss his warmth and genial presence. John was a dapper gentleman. His choices were exemplified in the flair of a bright "bow tie", his Lennon-like glasses, his warm but considered smile. From such a distance I send my warm thoughts and greetings. I have lost a friend, a colleague, and I hope that in the sharing there is a sense of compassion for what the family is experiencing. With warm regards and sincere sympathy.
Dr Harley Stanton Scientist - Tobacco Free Initiative World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office P.O. Box 2932 (U.N. Avenue) 1000 Manila Philippines Tel: + 632 528 9894 Fax: + 632 521 1036 Email: stantonh@wpro.who.int, Sunday, February 03, 2002

John could inspire inner peace and a commitment to taking action simultaneously. He could affirm you and remain humble in the same breath. I always marveled at his ability to see an issue clearly and remain committed to doing something about it until he got what he wanted. I have known John for over 10 years as a Board member of the Marin Institute and as the head of the Developing Leader and Innovators Program, he accomplished so much for so many in both roles. I will miss him in many ways.
Michael Sparks, Project Director Vallejo Fighting Back Partnership, Sunday, February 03, 2002

The passing of John Slade will mean that one of the giants of Addiction Medicine will no longer be leading the fight against one of the most deadly diseases in the world. John will be missed by his many friends and colleagues both in and out of Addiction Medicine. Those of us in the American Society of Addiction Medicine have lost not only a friend but an inspirational leader. His work demonstrated that a dedicated physician can make major progress against an industry that sells addiction and death - an industry that only a few years ago looked to be bulletproof. It was a privilege to know John. I hope that those that were trained by him will carry on the work that he so successfully led.
James W. Smith M.D. FASAM, Sunday, February 03, 2002

To the near and dear that are grieving Dr John Slade John was an unusual person. If those of us that met him at meetings and conferences are deeply touched and moved by his passing away how should it not be for those who were close to this exceptional man. May you take some comfort from that fact that he at least did not live in vain. He contributed more to peoples, particularly smokers, health than most of us can dream of contributing. He was a member of many associations and contributed so much to their work. The European branch of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco wants to express its sincere participation in the grief after Dr John Slade. May his memory live long and guide us all.
Karl Fagerstrom Helsingborg, Sweden, Sunday, February 03, 2002

I got to know John Slade as a reporter and writer beginning in the mid-nineties. I turned to John as an expert on nicotine, but I was soon re-educated as to his reach, which was comprehensive. He knew just about everything worth knowing about the tobacco industry's history and about the whole political and social framework of cigarette smoking. But what impressed me most when I visited him for the first time in late 1994 was his compassion for smokers as addicted people. He had more to say on that score than I'd ever heard, and it was so powerful, because it was backed up by such a formidable scientific knowledge. Later, when I researched and wrote my book on the "tobacco wars," John served as my primary touchstone and fact-checker for numerous details on addiction and on how nicotine works in the body. He was supportive of the project, but he did not suffer fools gladly - - he wanted the science to be right and this layman had to pay close attention, or a very quick series of 'No, no, no's' would come firing out of the telephone receiver. Thank God he was there, just up the road in central New Jersey. I don't know what I would have done without his steady hand. The thing about John Slade is that the country is poorer in ways it will probably never know, because he was a quiet force in tobacco control. He didn't play the media. You came to John and he helped you and he didn't ask for anything in return except that you get it right. Thanks to John Slade, many of us who worked on the tobacco story were able to get it right - - and millions of Americans have a better understanding and a better chance at not being enslaved to this terrible addiction as a result. Rest in peace, John.
Dan Zegart, writer, author of CIVIL WARRIORS: THE LEGAL SIEGE ON THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY, Sunday, February 03, 2002

This collection of thoughts and remembrances shows just how deeply John touched our lives. It was his decency and humanity that I think made the greatest impression on those who were privileged enough to have known John. There was no more powerful yet eloquent and soft-spoken voice in tobacco control than John's. We have lost a leader whose personal qualities we find in short supply today. The pain I am feeling is because of the loss of John the human being...a decent, caring, and honorable person. We should all try to live our lives by his example.
Mitch Zeller, Saturday, February 02, 2002

"We are known by the tracks we leave behind" ~ Dakota Proverb John Slade, M.D., was a healer, a medicine man, a person whose belief in God led him to do God's work on earth. His skills in addiction medicine were awesome. His knowledge of what the tobacco industry had done -- where, when and how -- was amazing. His vision for the future was inspiring. And those bow-ties were absolutely adorable! John was one of the first people that I met in tobacco prevention control; he was giving a presentation at the Fox Chase Cancer Center back around 1990 and I recall being quite impressed. While I didn't see him all that often as the years passed, I knew he was just a phone call away. And whenever we crossed paths at conferences or meetings, it was always a joy. I believe that John's legacy is that in that future day when tobacco no longer kills, he will be remembered as one who helped show the way and clear the path. My prayers go out to his wife and loved ones. Thank you for sharing him with us all these years.
Charyn Sutton, Saturday, February 02, 2002

The tobacco control effort has lost a great advocate and staunch supporter. We in New Jersey have lost an educator, role model and friend. John's leadership within the public health community will be missed. I am fortunate to have known John for much of the time he worked in New Jersey and benefited by his insight and knowledge. I admired his courage and ability to speak out so clearly on what he believed.
Leah Z. Ziskin UMDNJ-School of Public Health, Saturday, February 02, 2002

When I read the news about John I was deeply saddened. I have spent days pondering his enormous influence on the tobacco control movement as a whole as well as his personal impact on all the individuals who had the privilege to meet him. I first met John at a STAT conference in the early 90s. From then on at any conference or meeting at which he was speaking or running a workshop I would make a beeline to hear him. He was a guru, an inspiration, a fount of knowledge. He couldn't be pigeon-holed. He had so much to offer on all aspects of tobacco control. His approach to helping smokers quit was one that embraced and learned from all addictions. His 'trinkets and trash' collection and how he used these to attack the industry was awesome. His quiet manner, the ever present bow tie, looking more like the stereotype English professor than an American. He was always thoughtful, helpful and a real teacher. John's work made me know I want to stay and fight in tobacco control. I feel a personal and a professional loss at the news. May he rest in peace and continue to inspire us to work on in his memory.
Cecilia Farren GASP Smoke Free Solutions UK, Saturday, February 02, 2002

I remember John well because of his bright enthusiasm and intellect. He was our field officer in New Jersey's office of epidemiology from 1977 to 1980, doing both acute and chronic disease investigations. His local supervisor was Ron Altman, state epidemiologist, and I was his Atlanta supervisor. He must have averaged two investigations a month during his first two years, and about one a month during his chronic disease preventive medicine residency. We had hoped to make a career epidemiologist out of him, but his drive to serve locally as a counter-weight to tobacco addiction in New Jersey was overwhelming. And he served ably there for years, teaching, preaching and arguing for better tobacco control there and nationally. He was an early giant in the field and will be sorely missed by all of us. "Uncle" Lyle Conrad Atlanta, Saturday, February 02, 2002

I received this sad news while traveling in London, and today will try and find a quiet and inspirational place to spend some time reflecting on John's life and contribution. I first met him when he and Greg Connolly opportunistically "crashed" a meeting I had convened in Penang of SE Asian regional activists in 1985. They were in the region on related work, and asked if they could drop by. I'd never heard of John, but oh how that would change! Any list of the most effective, dedicated and savvy tobacco control researchers and activists would have John in the front line. He was just brilliant. Over the years he has provided so many people with his counsel and patient tours of his storehouse of information. As others have said too, he was a lovable, self-effacing and warm hearted guy. We are all diminished by his loss. My deep sympathies to his family and loved ones.
Simon Chapman Editor, Tobacco Control, Saturday, February 02, 2002

John--I am indebted to you for many incredible experiences...the early days when we wondered how nicotine was similar and different than other drugs....the formation of the ASAM Committee on Nicotine Dependence....putting forth stockholder's proposals at the Phillip Morris annual stockholders meetings, pioneering the treatment of nicotine dependency in chemical dependency units, meeting the inventor of Favor a year after you convinced the FDA that his drug delivery device should not be permitted, and collecting "Death Cigarettes" during a conference in Seattle. You had an incredible impact upon my life and you will always be one of my heroes--
Lori Karan (Stanford), Saturday, February 02, 2002

In celebration of John Slade’s life I’d like to share this memory I enjoy from the first time I met him. As a 2000 Fellow in the Developing Leadership to Reduce Substance Abuse Program, one of the first personal development tools I experienced was the Myers Briggs Preferences Survey. Our class was lining up on an imaginary “scale” by standing in relation to one another based on our scores for Extrovert or Introvert. While most of my partners lined up near the middle of our “scale” I found myself at the very edge of the room next to a wall on the Extrovert side. I remember laughing and making a joke about needing to knock down the wall to really be in the right place while inside I was feeling quite unnerved by my obviously high “E” number. Later that day I sensed John standing next to me. Turning toward him I heard him quietly say “Sometimes knocking down walls is what it takes to implement change.” He paused and then, with his eyes locked into mine, he said “We are very pleased to have you in the Program.” As I thanked him I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. He was just so cute with that bow tie. To honor John, I reaffirm my commitment to substance abuse prevention, to serve my fellow humankind, and to knock down as many walls as it takes to make a difference. Peace to all.
Linda Thompson, Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council’s Prevention Center, Spokane, Washington, Saturday, February 02, 2002

John Slade was a great guy and great researcher. Even more than his seminal work in nicotine addiction and cessation, I'll remember John for the joy he brought to the battle. He was a true warrior in the fight for public health and we will all miss him.
Russell Sciandra Albany, NY, Friday, February 01, 2002

A man with a bow tie and a mustache, A quiet, unassuming man. a gentle warm, and caring man. A man with compassion for his fellow persons especially for those addicted to the use of tobacco products and a passion for their care. A man who cared that others be spared the years of painful addiction. John, it is a pleasure to know you, to have learned from your expertise, to consider you a mentor. Your death is a tragic loss, your memory an inspiration to continue your work. God Bless and welcome you home.
Gene Errickson,Tobacco Dependence Treatment Program, Meridian Health Systems, Friday, February 01, 2002

John did more than anyone I know to change the world--and yet, all that is nothing compared to who he was as a person. He was simply the finest person I have ever known and had the privilege to work with.
Nancy Kaufman, RWJF, Friday, February 01, 2002

John and I first met in 1983, and we worked together to develop an addictions consultation and treatment service here in New Brunswick. We saw patients, did teaching rounds together, conducted research, and became friends. Our paths and interests slowly diverged, but we were always in touch. He was what so many others have said - a warm and gentle man, a visionary, a teacher and scholar, an activist. He also was a superb physician, communicating the same warmth and compassion to his patients that we all experienced as his friends as colleagues, while at the same time being a skilled diagnostician and clinician. I miss him and cannot imagine the world being quite the same place without him. My deepest sympathies go out to Frances and the rest of his family.
Barbara McCrady, Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University, -Friday, February 01, 2002

I have known Dr. Slade professionally for more than 20 yrs and must say that I was 'privileged' to have been able to work with him on a few projects. He was thoughtful, articulate, knowledgeable and most all caring and compassionate. I was very pleased when he accepted the chair of our Public Health Practice Standards Committee which seeks to strengthen New Jersey's public health system. He will be sorely missed as a champion and spokesman for public health both in New Jersey and nationally.
Cliff Freund NJ Department of Health & Senior Services, Friday, February 01, 2002

Having come onboard to the Tobacco Dependence program only eight months ago, I was privileged to have met and been instructed by Dr. John Slade. So many were in awe of this man, not the least of which was his staff. I wish I had more opportunity to have learned from this accomplished scholar, but I will count myself lucky that I had the privilege to meet him at all. I send my sincere condolences to his wife and his family.
Donna Drummond, UMDNJ, Trenton, Friday, February 01, 2002

It is hard to know the words to capture such a unique man as JD Slade. Many have done so here already: intelligent, gentle, passionate, proper, patient, fair, honest, hard working, extraordinary, and respectful to only begin the list. What I was always so struck by with John (aside from his daily bow tie attire), was his interest in bringing others into his world - and he did so in such a humble and understated way- never being interested in the limelight or credit. I know I am not alone in the belief that I would not be where I am today professionally, if John had not opened so many doors and made so many introductions for me. My promise to him is to keep walking through, to explore the unexplored, and to show others through the doors that John ushered me through. May we all be blessed by wonderful memories of time spent together.
Raychel Kubby Adler, California Department of Health, Tobacco Control Section, Friday, February 01, 2002

Although I only knew John professionally and personally a relatively short time, I was in awe of his knowledge, dedication, and passion for tobacco control. As a 2000 fellow in the RWJ Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse Program, I was so fortunate to have John for a "coach." Along with several other fellows, I had the good fortune to spend a weekend last June at his cabin in Northern Georgia. I knew when John broke out the giant squirt guns at the lake that this was going to be much more than traditional mentoring. John truly loved tobacco control, but more importantly he took a sincere interest in mentoring those of us who are growing into the field. I already miss his readiness and willingness to nurture me. Tobacco control has lost one of its most experienced warriors. Humanity has lost a giving, caring, devoted friend and colleague.
Ellen Hahn, University of Kentucky College of Nursing, Friday, February 01, 2002

I am very saddened to learn about Dr. Slade's death. I am privileged to have known Mr. Slade through the Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse Fellowship program. I just hope that we can continue working to make a reality Mr. Slade's dream to combat substance abuse. My condolences and thoughts go to his loves ones.
Dalimarie Perez-Arzuaga Developing Leadership in Reducing Substance Abuse Fellow, Friday, February 01, 2002

I first met John when I was a psychiatry resident at an addiction meeting in El Paso, Texas back in the late 80's where he was an invited speaker. I remember being so energized and enthused by his energy and enthusiasm. He was truly interested in what I had to say and I was always so impressed that when ever I saw him again at meetings - he remembered me and was so gracious and supportive of me and my work. I came to see him as a true mentor, a kind and generous man who sincerely cared about other people. I am very saddened by his death and will truly miss him. Hopefully we will be able to continue to follow in his foot steps. Thank you John for all you have done for us!
Libby Stuyt, Circle Program, Pueblo, Colorado, Friday, February 01, 2002

John We will miss you tremendously. I will never forget your contribution to the Emory School of Public Health Tobacco course that I taught in the early 90's. The students adored you, and I smiled when you brought your parents to class...our thoughts and prayers are with you and Frances.
Jas Ahluwalia and colleagues at the University of Kansas, Friday, February 01, 2002

I am very sorry to hear of John's death. I did not know he was ill. I met John at the ASAM meeting in Toronto a few years ago and loved the work he had created - The Show of Hands. With his approval and encouragement this has been done all over the State of Minnesota in schools, corporate offices and in ballrooms during statewide meetings. The banners have also traveled to our state capitol promoting public health. I appreciated his addressing addiction newsletters too. It seemed John was never too important or busy to talk. You have my deepest sympathy.
Pamela Werb, Friday, February 01, 2002

John was a respected and valued colleague and friend, with whom I worked closely in years past. His loss is a devastating blow to UMDNJ, to the local healthcare community and the to the cause of tobacco control that he so effectively championed. My thoughts are very much with his widow, Frances, his parents, his family, and his many friends and associates.
Jim Langenbucher, Rutgers University Center of Alcohol Studies, Friday, February 01, 2002

I write with tears in my eyes and a smile on my lips as I think about John having just heard about his death. I worked at the Interfaith Center On Corporate Responsibility for 30 years and John was one of our key advisors as we challenged the tobacco industry using the tool of shareholder resolutions . John and I attended a number of stockholder meetings together where he spoke eloquently and persuasively,"speaking truth to power", to those who profited from the incredible plague caused by the tobacco industry. John's passion inspired while his sense of irony made you chuckle. May we all be inspired in this time of sadness to continue John's mission for health and against the tobacco industry.
Tim Smith, former Executive Director , ICCR, Friday, February 01, 2002

John was an honest man of high intelligence, gentle wit, and amazing patience in the service of his goals. His work was important. His life was important. All our professional efforts will be the poorer for the loss of him. I am poorer for the loss of him.
Lynn Kozlowski, Penn State, Friday, February 01, 2002

John Slade had a unique timelessness about him. His impressive scholarship and early 20th Century good manners were combined with extraordinary and uncanny vision. He could use an overhead projector and captivate an audience that expected animated powerpoint. I like to think that of John with Jules Verne and Merlin who lived in the past, present, and future. John's spirit, energy, and imprint will live forever. With my greatest respect and admiration.
Neil Grunberg (Uniformed Services University), Friday, February 01, 2002

I will always remember my first interaction with Dr. Slade. He visited my poster at SRNT (my very first ever). I was a still an MPH graduate student and he accorded me the attention and respect that others reserve for accomplished researchers. His quiet, thoughtful and respectful manner is still in my memory. He will be missed.
Denise Jolicoeur, Friday, February 01, 2002

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. John Slade. He will be greatly missed. Sincerely,
The Staff of The Tobacco Dependency Treatment Program of The Plainfield Health Center, Friday, February 01, 2002

I am so deeply saddened by John's death. John greatly inspired me from the first time I met him. I had huge respect for both his work and him as a person. I will really miss him and his critically important role in tobacco control.
Ann McNeill, UK, Friday, February 01, 2002

In 1980, John and I were both at the NJ Department of Health, where he was detailed as an EIS (Epidemiology Intelligence Service) from the CDC. We worked together on several projects, including investigating a cluster of testicular cancer among members of a highschool sports team. John brought enthusiasm and diligence to this task as to all endeavors. Unlike many of us, John was able to focus his energy and compassion on a single target, thereby achieving substantial success. The tobacco industry wreaks its own special brand of terrorism on society, and John fought that battle diligently and uncompromisingly. His was a warm person with a dry sense of humor. He will be sorely missed.
Michael Gochfeld, EOHSI, Friday, February 01, 2002

John was a truly beautiful human being, an utterly selfless leader whose humility, creativity, and energy made him a unique resource to the field of tobacco control. What is perhaps most remarkable about him is that those of us who worked with him exclusively in a professional capacity felt so close to him personally. My 21 year-old son -- a mix of idealist and cynic --always complains that you can't change the world. John did. He changed its attitudes, he created its leaders, he informed all of us and changed our thinking. I will always be indebted to him for my professional growth, and for my understanding, if not emulation, of what it takes to be a truly fine person.
Ken Warner, University of Michigan, Friday, February 01, 2002

Good morning one and all, I am sorry to hear of of Dr. Slade's passing. I do hope to be one of the many folks to carry on his passion. It has been 2 years since our dear Mom, Annette passed away from Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, a condition from decades of smoking cigarettes. I miss her more than words can say. I know that others feel the same way when they lose a loved one to addiction. My father had also passed years before Mom and alcohol was a contributing factor to his death. It truly is agony. Some years back I graduated from the Chemical Dependency Counselor Training Program here in Oregon and while taking classes I started a two year internship at one of Eugene's treatment facilities. I love what I do. As a former addict of cocaine myself with 11 years clean, I know first hand the insidiousness of any kind of drug and I vowed many years ago that I would spend the rest of my life assisting in any way I could to help others with education about this. Thank you Doctor for doing your part. You are highly respected. Your passion will live on. Christine Louise Hutchinson, Friday, February 01, 2002

As I witnessed it, you were always on the right path, from the time I met you twenty years ago until our final conversation. All your friends will miss you and the twinkle in your eye, John.
Andrew McGuire, Friday, February 01, 2002

I am saddened by this news. Professor Slade was an great scientist and a warm and kind individual. We'll miss him!
Mustafa al'Absi University of Minnesota, Friday, February 01, 2002

I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing John for the past 5 years I've been at RWJF. At first, I knew of John as the bow-tied man who had the amazing collection of "Trinkets & Trash". Over time and through our work on the program for the World Conference, I came to know the incredible man he was. He was not only one of the most well-known and respected leaders in tobacco control, he was truly a kind and thoughtful man. He will be missed dearly by many, but especially by those of us at RWJF. I wish Francis and his family much strength and faith during this difficult time.
Sallie Petrucci, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Friday, February 01, 2002

I am very saddened to learn about Dr. Slade's death. His expertise, commitment to his field and kindness toward people touched me deeply during the 8 day Tobacco Training where I first met Dr. Slade. Even though I have had limited contact with him , Dr. Slade made a lasting impression on me. It truly is our loss that he gone.
Paivi Anderson, RN, LCSW Manager, Ambulatory Behavioral Health Services Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Friday, February 01, 2002

Personally, it is as if a great light, which has led me out of darkness, has gone out. I am privileged to have known and worked with John Slade. There is no doubt that John was a talented physician and enduring pioneer for tobacco control. It is evident though, that above all, we are reeling in the loss of such an exceptional human being. Seeing him work with patients in such a generous way brought me to humility. The horror that John was unaware of the great man he was and of all the gifts he still had to give, brings me so much pain. I only find comfort in his peace and in the fact that I will continue to help people to quit smoking every day as the greatest legacy to him.
Jill Williams, MD; UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Tobacco Dependence Program, Friday, February 01, 2002

Like everyone who knew John Slade, I'm terribly saddened. What an awful loss - professionally, of course, but most of all because John was such a fundamentally decent guy; generous and humble in spite of his incredible intelligence and effectiveness as an advocate. I will remember John not just for his extraordinary accomplishments, but most of all for his courteous, gentle and soft-spoken nature.
Cliff Douglas, Friday, February 01, 2002

John Slade's legacy is not only his work as a scholar and as an advocate. It is also the many, many people who have put his work into good use, be that David Kessler or people out in the trenches. It is rare for someone so brilliant to be yet so unassuming and modest. And when he spoke at meetings he did so in a dispassionate manner. Even so, I would notice how attentive everyone was to what he said. I also remember reading a tobacco industry document wherein an industry plant, who it appeared was out recruiting for scientists, described his speech and demeanor, but noted that based on what Dr. Slade said, he was one person they need not contact to be a possible consultant.
Robert Anderson, West Virginia University, Friday, February 01, 2002

Dr. John Slade's work and writing is much appreciated by me. When I spoke with him, he was encouraging. Like a mentor, he was a leader in tobacco control. His fine example, and that of others, helped inspire me to develop background material on tobacco control, including the right to pure air, details at http://medicolegal.tripod.com/pureaircases.htm and past leadership on the subject, details at sites such as http://medicolegal.tripod.com/iowalaw1897.htm His passing at age 52 is hard. I wish his family well in this trying time. Leroy J. Pletten The Crime Prevention Group, Friday, February 01, 2002

The tobacco control movement has lost a true spiritual leader. I add my comments to many others who knew John as a tireless leader, superb researcher, committed activist, mentor, and friend. He has touched many lives in the universe. My prayers are with his family and with his fond spirit that lives on.
Deborah McLellan Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Friday, February 01, 2002

On behalf of the SUCCESS Tobacco Quitcenter located at Hackensack University Medical Center, we extend our sympathies to the family of Dr. Slade. We were saddedened to hear of his passing. We will continue to provide treatment and counseling to individuals who are addicted to tobacco with the same passion that Dr. Slade conveyed to us in the training at UMDNJ. His work will enable us and many others to help save lives.
Kate McDougall Natalie Ross Laura Sutton, Friday, February 01, 2002

I am very sorry to learn about the death of John Slade. In my mind he was one of the stalwarts of tobacco control, not only because of his deep knowledge of cigarettes and other tobacco products but more because of his willingness and enthusiasm in sharing the knowledge he had with everyone else and explaining intricacies with a great deal of patience. He sometimes corresponded with me on Indian tobacco products and we had met only a few times, the last one was in Chicago conference, but after every meeting with him, I felt richer. His death is a loss for tobacco control worldwide.
Prakash C. Gupta Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Mmbai 400 005, India, Friday, February 01, 2002

John Slade is the only MD I ever knew who had the fire in the belly of a crusader. He was impeccable -- steeled with integrity, softened by humor and kindness, focused and productive and oh so smart. You could see the relief on everyone's face when, after meeting for hours, John opened his mouth to put it all together. No one listened better than he did and went right for what we in journalism call "the nut graph." No one fought the fight better than this man who we in my tribe call a "mensch." I shall remember John always and continue to hold him in awe, as one of the few achievers I've ever known worthy of deep respect. And eternal appreciation.
Hilary Abramson former media specialist when John was a director The Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems, Friday, February 01, 2002

My memories of John Slade are as a tireless advocate for alcohol control and public health-oriented alcohol policies. He brought to the alcohol field the lessons and creativity from years of working against the tobacco industry, and led and inspired those of us working on alcohol to try new strategies and strike out in new directions. My nickname for him was always "Dr. Stealth" because he was so mild-mannered, but so effective as an advocate. I have a file called "Slade-scapades" filled with ideas that he gave me over the years, some of which we followed up on, and some of which are still like gifts waiting to be opened and explored. I deeply appreciated John's integrity, his matter-of-fact courage and deep determination, and his constant encouragement. I miss him already, and join with others in sending my condolences to his wife and family.
David Jernigan (also, thanks for putting up this page), Friday, February 01, 2002

I first met Dr. John Slade at the 92' STAT Conference. I have been impressed by both his scientific knowledge, his commitment in the fight against industry's interests & the fact that he kept the personal roots of his commitment in tobacco control. It reminds me of a meeting where we were about 20 gathered, joining our hands, and listening to notably to Dr. Slade telling who in his family had been victims of tobacco addiction. I would like to share with his family and his friends my sadness and how much grateful to Dr. Slade we need to be around the world.
Pascal Melihan-Cheinin Paris, France E-mail: pascalmc@ifrance.com, Thursday, January 31, 2002

John was an inspiration to me both in my professional and personal life. He was a brilliant strategist and thinker and completely committed to public health. He dedicated enormous energy to my career, and his confidence in me helped me through some difficult times. John had integrity and it guided him in all of his activities. He was a leader and mentor, yet was a modest individual always ready to listen and learn, showing respect and interest in the lives of everyone he met. I am so deeply saddened at his death, at the loss for everyone. I especially send my best wishes and condolences to his family and close friends. John was loved by so many. I only wish I had had the opportunity to express these words of appreciation and support to him directly.
Jim Mosher, Thursday, January 31, 2002

John Slade was a towering giant who too few people knew and appreciated, but those who knew him best and those who worked the hardest to reduce the death toll from tobacco appreciated him the most. There is no person who has done more over the years to promote tobacco prevention and cessation and no person who was liked by more people - whether they agreed with his views or not. John was one of the world's greatest experts on nicotine and addiction. He was a true visionary in every sense of the word. He was among the first to understand the importance of these issues. John also had the most extensive collection of tobacco industry marketing material in the United States and served as the source of information about tobacco industry marketing practices for virtually all of us. There was no more dedicated, thoughtful, and important tobacco control advocate. John was zealous without being a zealot. John had more good ideas than I can count and more times than I can remember was the first person to see a new direction in which we should be heading. Many of us who depended on John will appear a lot less innovative without John supplying us with a steady stream of ideas and the fact to back them up. He was a true leader who never demanded credit and whose contributions were appreciated the most by the people who knew him the best. Separate from his enormous contributions, I have simply never met a finer, more self-effacing, more decent human being. He never did anything out of self-interest and he never treated anyone with less respect than we would all wanted to be treated. He never raised his voice in anger, never disparaged someone because they disagreed with him, and never let his passion for reducing the death toll from tobacco get in the way of his ironclad commitment to lay out the science truthfully, accurately and completely. He never lost his cool, but he was a man of towering strength. He was brilliant, creative and dedicated, but most important he was just an incredible human being.
Matt Myers Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Thursday, January 31, 2002

John's death is indeed devastating news. John embodied all the qualities that most of us aspire to but rarely achieve: total honesty and integrity; humility; brilliance; insightfulness; vision; unselfishness; and courage. That he dedicated his life to tobacco prevention and cessation was a most fortunate gift to this nation and world -- and was symbolized, in the dry humor manner of John's, by his New Jersey license plate which read "no cigs." Like all John's friends, I will treasure the memories and the wisdom he shared.
Jim Bergman National Center for Tobacco-Free Older Persons The Center for Social Gerontology Ann Arbor, Michigan, Thursday, January 31, 2002

I have only known John Slade well for less than two years. In that time I understood why he is held in such high regard by colleagues, students and patients alike. He always encouraged and supported. I have never known a more modest medical professor. He led by example and by encouragement to do likewise and by so doing he inspired all those who worked with him. I am extremely grateful for the time I spent with him, but wish it could have been longer.
Jonathan Foulds, UMDNJ-School of Public Health, Thursday, January 31, 2002

May you rest in peace gentle warrior
Thursday, January 31, 2002