DOI: 10.1097/SAP.0b013e3181e78373

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Issn Print: 0148-7043

Publication Date: 2010/07/01


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In Memory of Dr. Robert M. Goldwyn

Fu-Chan Wei

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Dr. Robert Goldwyn was a giant within our specialty, whose philosophies and teachings had a profound influence on plastic surgeons throughout the world. To the international community of plastic surgeons he was probably best known for his insightful editorials in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Among his prolific publications, The Unfavorable Result in Plastic Surgery remains an important classic of the literature that I continue to recommend.1 For those who were not fortunate enough to meet Dr. Goldwyn, it was his books and editorials that communicated best his enigmatic character and enthusiasm for his specialty and for his patients. He was a sincere, caring plastic surgeon and gentleman who is sadly missed.
I first met Dr. Goldwyn in 1993 while I was serving as the editor in chief for Microsurgery (Asian Edition), and have ever since been charmed by his knowledgeable and humorous yet humble character. We kept in close contact with each other over the years, and he became both a mentor and a friend to me. On many occasions, such as at my Maliniac Lecture at The American Society of Plastic Surgery Annual Meeting in 2001, his Noordhoff Lecture at The Taiwan Society of Plastic Surgery Annual Meeting in 2002, and during my Monks visiting professorship at Harvard University in 2006, Dr. Goldwyn was always most generous in acknowledging my achievements when speaking to our peers; his words were a major driving force during my pursuit for excellence throughout my career.
The autographed painting of the world's first kidney transplantation by Nobel Laureate Dr. Joseph Murray hanging on the wall of my office—a most precious present given to me by Dr. Joseph Murray himself, as arranged by Dr. Goldwyn—continues to remind me to think big and to follow the footsteps of these 2 most influential forces in the field of plastic surgery.
On behalf of our department at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and our plastic surgery colleagues in Taiwan, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to his wife Tanya, Dr. Goldwyn's family members, friends, and colleagues on his passing. May his soul rest in peace.
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