Syd, who had a distinguished career in medicine, died Sept. 14, 2011, after a long illness.
He matriculated at Princeton in 1943 and joined the V-12 program, but in 1945 he began medical studies at Duke University, from which he graduated in 1949. From 1951 to 1953 he was a captain in the Air Force Medical Corps, serving as a flight surgeon. He then joined the Duke Medical Center house staff, where he became chief resident in medicine.
After earning a Ph.D. in microbiology from the Rockefeller Institute in 1959, Syd was appointed professor of medicine and microbiology and became a full-time professor in 1972. During his career he received many awards and honors, but being recognized for his excellence in teaching at Duke Medical School, where he was the first recipient of the Thomas Kinney Award, capped an outstanding life’s work.
Syd and his wife, Shirley, were avid Duke fans, enjoyed family vacations at Pawleys Island, S.C., and traveled extensively after his retirement as professor emeritus in 1991. For Syd, the most important thing in life was intellectual discipline, which he practiced his whole career.
The class extends deepest condolences to Shirley; daughter Ann Garrett and her husband, Jeff; sons Mark and his wife, Anna, and Martin; and four grandchildren.