Michael Gravanis passed away on December 13th, 2008. Arriving at Emory University in 1965, he was Chairman of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine from 1969-1985. He was a distinguished professor of Cardiology and Pathology at Emory, an accomplished poet, founder of the Greek Fellows Fund and a member of the highest scientific order in Greece, The Academy of Athens. Born in 1929 in Krokilion, a mountain village near Delphi in Greece, he graduated from the University of Thessaloniki Medical School in 1952 and emigrated to the US in 1959. From the time of his arrival, Dr. Gravanis' tireless dedication to his art and science rewarded him with an impressive career and many friends and admirers. His research illuminated numerous mechanisms of heart disease and expanded our understanding of the heart considerably. He published over 100 scholarly articles, numerous book chapters, he edited 3 books on vascular disease, and published 2 books of his own on Cardiovascular Pathology, as well as one book of his poetry, Pulsations. He was loved and respected by many, as much for his kind generosity and fierce loyalty as for his myriad accomplishments. A man who often seemed to be larger than life, the warmth of his bountiful heart was felt throughout the Emory community and, indeed, worldwide. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family. He is survived by his wife Lena, his son Basil, daughter Katerina and her four children, his sister Virginia, a niece and nephew. A memorial service for Dr. Gravanis will be held in Emory University's Cannon Chapel on January 15th, 2009 at 4pm. Submissions of photos, remembrances, notes, etc. for the service and his ongoing memorial may be sent to his family at 1002 Oxford Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 or e-mailed to basil.gravanis@gmail.com. Donations in Dr. Gravanis' memory may be sent to the Greek Fellows Fund at the Emory University School of Medicine. Contact Anne Stainback at Emory, 1440 Clifton Road N.E., Suite 440, Atlanta, GA 30322. A. S. Turner & Sons 404-292-1551
