In Remembrance: Donald Kaye ’53 Died on July 4 2020

View full image

Donald Kaye was born on August 12, 1931, in New York City to parents Morris and Rose.  He graduated from Yale University in 1953 and earned his MD from NYU in 1957.  He completed his training at Cornell University and New York Hospital in internal medicine and infectious diseases in 1961 and then served as a faculty member there until 1969. During his time at Cornell, he trained and influenced future infectious diseases luminaries including Gerald Mandell, Merle Sande, and Anthony Fauci.  

In 1969 he became chairman of the Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP; subsequently Hahnemann) at the age of 38, a position which he maintained until 1995.  During his time at MCP, he transformed the department into a nationally recognized research and clinical institution.  He was an internationally recognized clinician, educator, and researcher.  His particular areas of expertise were urinary tract infection and endocarditis.  He published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals, and authored more than 100 book chapters.  He received many federally funded grants and was elected to leadership positions in  professional societies.  He received numerous awards and was named Master of the American College of Physicians. He served on editorial boards on many professional journals, and remained active with regards to both editing and publishing right up until the end of his life.  He was a mentor to hundreds of physicians (a number of whom have become academic and clinical leaders), in whom he instilled values of integrity, loyalty, and compassion. 

While medicine was a true passion of Donald’s, he valued family above all else. He married the love of his life, Janet Kaye (née Sovitsky) in 1955, and had four children, all of whom are physicians.  He was grandfather to nine grandchildren.  He instilled a strong work ethic, family values, and love in all family members.  Donald was beloved husband of Janet; loving father of Dr. Kenneth (Elaine) Kaye, Dr. Karen (Steven) Bloom, Dr. Kendra (Jerry) Zuckerman, and Dr. Keith (Jill Noll) Kaye; cherished grandfather of Alexander (Sarah Meyers), Caroline, Elizabeth, Sarah, David, Rachel, Emily, Aden, and Travis; devoted brother of Harriet Sobol. Services are private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Main Line Reform Temple.

—Submitted by the family.