As acknowledged in a message from School of Medicine Dean Sam Hawgood, the campus community has been greatly saddened to learn of the death of Kenneth H. Fye, MD, a veteran physician, researcher, master clinician and cherished member of our community. He passed away at age 67 on March 28, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Fye trained here at UCSF, and then went into private practice for two decades, serving as volunteer faculty at UCSF before coming back full-time. On his return, Dr. Fye worked as a rheumatology consultant at the UCSF and San Francisco Veteran's Administration Medical Centers. According to Art Weiss, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology, "what made Ken so effective as a teacher of medicine were his infectious enthusiasm, his breadth of knowledge, his ability to use evidence-based research to support his arguments, and his invariable focus on the needs of the individual patient. He was one of the first recipients of the Ira Goldstein Teaching Award, bestowed by our rheumatology fellows."

Dr. Fye conducted clinical research on osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathies and lupus erythematosus, publishing over 60 original scientific papers. Dr. David Wofsy, a co-investigator in many of Dr. Fye's research studies, commented that, "this output is remarkable for a physician who spent so much of his career in private practice and even when here, spent so much of his time as a clinician educator. He was even elected in the first group of seven 'Master Clinicians' named by our Department of Medicine, yet he found the time and energy to do first-rate clinical research."

In additional service to UCSF, Dr. Fye directed the volunteer clinical faculty and chaired the Medical School’s Alumni Association. University honors included his election as Alumnus of the Year in 1996. He was also honored by several of his patients with the endowment of the Kenneth H. Fye Distinguished Chair in Rheumatology in 2007. Beyond the University, Dr. Fye was an active participant in local and national activities of the Arthritis Foundation and was a founding fellow of the American College of Rheumatology, which elected him a Master of the College in 2008.

Dr. Homer Boushey, a classmate in medical school, and a close friend thereafter, said of him, "among Ken's most distinguishing characteristics was his capacity for caring. This capacity was well known within the walls of UCSF's hospitals and clinic but extended well beyond them. Just as examples, Ken sat long hours at the side of one friend with massive hemorrhage, stood by others when their daughter was pulled near death from a snow cave, and climbed down a precipice to rescue an unconscious stranger who had driven off a mountain road. Ken cared about teaching, especially at the bedside, where he was a model, mentor, and font of knowledge, but also through his devotion to our institution."

Dr. Fye is survived by his first wife, Susan Fye of Crescent Valley, Nevada, by his wife Marilyn, of Tiburon California, by daughters Katherine Sears of Fall City, Washington, and Cecelia Youngheim of Royal Oak, Michigan, by step-sons Mark and Kent Daniels, and by four grandchildren, Kirtis, Taryn, Eli, and Cordelia. A tribute page has been set up by the family.

A memorial event is planned for Sunday, May 2, 2010, 2:00 pm, Robertson Auditorium, Mission Bay Conference Center. A reception will immediately follow in the Fisher Banquet Room.  Questions can be directed to Olivia Herbert at 415/476-9878 or oherbert@support.ucsf.edu