A two-hour memorial service was held Wednesday to celebrate the life of internationally renowned heart surgeon Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., who died of natural causes Friday, July 11, at the age of 99.
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo presided over the music-filled service, held at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas. Within the limestone walls of the cathedral, Dr. DeBakey's family, fellow physicians, students, former patients and admirers gathered to pay their final respects to a man who forever changed the field of cardiovascular medicine. By the start of the service, it was standing room only in the cathedral that seats more than 1,800.
Reflections on Dr. DeBakey's life were offered by 11 speakers, including Crystal Cathedral's Dr. Robert H. Schuller, United States Representative Al Green, Houston socialite Joanne King Herring, and Dr. George Noon, Dr. DeBakey's surgical partner and close friend. Also in attendance were Dr. DeBakey's wife Katrin and their daughter Olga, sons Denis and Michael, and sisters Lois and Selma DeBakey.
Regarded as a renaissance man, Dr. DeBakey's ingenious inventions and visionary procedures have saved countless lives. He was the first to successfully use an artificial heart, he developed MASH Units and Dacron artificial grafts, he was the first to perform Aorto-Coronary Bypass Surgery, and the list goes on. Dr. DeBakey personally performed over 60,000 cardiovascular surgeries and trained more than 1,000 surgeons. Remarkably, this medical pioneer continued to contribute and practice medicine as a senior attending surgeon until his death.
"Everyone from kings to the common man came to Methodist to be treated by Dr. DeBakey," said Dr. Marc Boom, Executive Vice President of The Methodist Hospital, where Dr. DeBakey called home for nearly 60 years. "They all knew the care they received from him was absolutely the best in the world."
A first-hand witness of this un-prejudicial compassion was friend and former Baylor administrator, Dr. Antonio M. Gotto. He recalled, "Not a single time—not once—did Dr. DeBakey ask, 'Can this patient pay? Does this patient have insurance? Is he covered by Medicare? Is he a VIP?'" On the contrary, he treated his patients equally, never turning away someone in need of his healing.
"Following Dr. DeBakey's example," Dr. Boom said, "we will save and improve lives for many generations to come. I cannot think of a more fitting legacy for this great man."
Undoubtedly, Dr. Debakey will be noted in history books for his pioneering mind and his dedication as a medical statesman. However, friends and colleagues encouraged mourners to also remember his admirable character and one-of-a-kind personality.
Before the service, the effervescent Joanne Herring said that Dr. DeBakey "wanted people to know the lighter side of his life." She continued, "Everybody knows about the great man, but they don't know about the man who liked to have fun." In her spirited eulogy, she told the story of how Dr. DeBakey met his second wife, Katrin. "Frank Sinatra decided to play cupid," she said, matching DeBakey with a German film actress set to play the next James Bond girl. Herring continued, "Her name was Katrin Fehlhaber—she was a knockout. Frank had a dinner party and sat him right next to her. Mike never looked at another woman for as long as he lived."
In the anecdote-filled eulogies, the Louisiana native was described as a babysitter who let kids do chin-ups on his biceps, a sleep-deprived wonder who learned to play the clarinet in three months, a beacon of discovery who was as handy with a pool cue as he was with a scalpel, a witty man who could tell good one-liners, a one-time prom dress seamster and a long-time gumbo connoisseur.
Dr. DeBakey's surgical partner, Dr. George Noon left few dry eyes in the church with the story of his final visit with Dr. DeBakey on the day he died. "We talked for over an hour. We had a very lovely conversation," Noon recounted, adding that they ate together—Dr. Noon had gumbo, while Dr. DeBakey ate ice cream.
Following a clarinet solo and benediction, the traditional service transformed into a jazz funeral, led by the Young Tuxedo Brass Band. As they marched deliberately down the aisle toward the flag-draped casket, they played a slow, mournful dirge that filled the cavernous space of the cathedral. The musicians reached the casket, finished the song and allowed the recessional to begin with a few moments of poignant silence. Then, they struck up a rousing rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In," ushering into the cathedral a celebratory mood. The mourners in the pews began to clap their hands and sway in time to the beat.
The jazz band lead the recession outside to the front steps. There, Mrs. DeBakey and her daughter held hands as they watched the pallbearers guide the casket into the hearse. Army servicemen in their dress blues were on hand to honor and salute the World War II veteran. The hearse pulled away from the curb to sounds of jazz horns.
In a most appropriate goodbye, Dr. Boom quoted one of Dr. DeBakey's admirers: "The nobility of a healer lies in his greatness of heart for his patients. Rest in peace, great healer of hearts."
Dr. DeBakey was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, July 18, 2008.
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