Hermes C. Grillo, MD: Oct 2, 1923 - Oct 14, 2006

Hermes C. Grillo, MD, world renowned Thoracic Surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital, died Saturday, October 14 near Ravenna, Italy in an automobile accident.  He and his wife, Sue, were traveling in their beloved Italy visiting family and planned to attend the Italian Association for Thoracic Surgery where he was to be an honored speaker. Sue has recovered from her injuries and returned to Boston. 

Born in Boston in 1923, Dr. Grillo was widely recognized as the Father of modern-day tracheal surgery.  He published over 350 scientific articles on a wide array of topics in thoracic surgery, but the majority dealt with surgery of the tracheobronchial tree.  He is credited with developing several original operations to correct many of the disorders of the tracheobronchial tree.  Many of these conditions were considered to be uncorrectable prior to his pioneering efforts in this field.  His textbook "Surgery of the Trachea and Bronchi," published in 2004, is considered worldwide as the definitive text on airway surgery.

Dr. Grillo was an Emeritus Professor of Surgery at the Harvard Medical School, Visiting Surgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and Emeritus Chief of General Thoracic Surgery.  The endowed Hermes C. Grillo Chair of Surgery was established at the Harvard Medical School in 2002 in recognition of his many accomplishments in the field.

Raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Dr. Grillo attended Providence Classical High School.  He was quite proud of his "classical" education and especially fond of his four years of Latin education. This held him in good stead throughout his lifetime, often quoting a favorite Latin phrase to make a point.  Graduating from Brown University in 1943 and Harvard Medical School in 1947, Dr. Grillo joined the surgical house staff at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1947.  He was a child of the Depression and lessons learned from that era also stayed with him.  Accepted to both Harvard and Yale Medical Schools, he chose Harvard because the tuition was $400 per year compared to $450 at Yale.  "Harvard was a perfectly good school and I could save a little money."  He completed his Chief
Residency in Surgery at MGH in 1955 and joined the staff.  He retired from active clinical practice of surgery in 2000.  He remained active in teaching and writing until the time of his death.  As a teacher, Dr. Grillo was unparalleled!

He always made time for the eager and inquisitive student.  He spent countless hours listening, advising, guiding and teaching.  Ever a gentleman, his style was to challenge, question, and probe but never in a condescending or demeaning way.  Even after he retired, he remained active as a teacher and as a student.  He was a regular attendant at Surgical Grand Rounds, freely offering insightful comments about innovations and ideas.

He was the recipient of numerous awards and honors during his career. Most notable among these were the Chadwick Medal from the Massachusetts Thoracic Society, The William Rogers award from Brown University, Earl Bakken Scientific Achievement award from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Henry F. Bigelow Medal from the Boston Surgical Society.  Dr. Grillo was a Visiting Professor at 40 institutions in the United States and around the world in addition to numerous invited lectureships.  He was on the Editorial Boards of nine surgical journals.  He was the President of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (1987-88), President of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association and President of the Boston Surgical Society, 1997.

One of his proudest accomplishments was in the service to his country. He served as a Lt. (j.g.) MC, USNR, as a combat surgeon, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force Korea in 1951-52.  He earned a commendation ribbon with combat "V", Korean campaign ribbon with 3 battle stars.  In 1983 he was awarded the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal by the Republic of Korea for his contributions during the Korean War.

He and his wife loved to travel throughout the world.  In the "Class Notes" section of the July/August 2006 Brown University Alumni Magazine, Hermes reported that he was "still writing, teaching and puttering" at the MGH.  He went on to explain how he spent "New Year's Eve again in Tuscany, then to India via Zurich, on to Cremona, Toscana, and Assisi in the fall, and perhaps to Paris and wine roads in the spring (Champagne, Burgundy, Rhone).  "Best to keep moving while we can!" he wrote.

A colleague in the MGH alumni news summed up Hermes best, "Who can forget his unremitting stream of new ideas, his technical excellence and his dogged persistence until things came right."

Dr. Grillo was the proud father of four children.  He taught them to take in the world around them, ask questions, love their work and always wonder whether there was a better way to look at a problem.  Through him they were taught a way of life in which integrity, creativity, intellect, personal passion, and concern for the well being of others could be successfully and productively joined.

The Thoracic community has lost a true pioneer, a preeminent physician who built and shaped a surgical field, saved or improved countless lives and inspired several generations of surgeons - a man who truly kept moving until the very end. 

Dr. Grillo leaves behind thousands of grateful patients and generations of surgeons to whom he provided mentorship and an exemplary role model.  He is survived by his wife Sue (Robinson), his son H. Conrad Grillo, Jr., daughters Andrea Massar, Paula Shalan and Amy Grillo Angell and
nine grandchildren.       

A memorial service will be held in Cambridge on Thursday, May 3, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. at the Memorial Church at Harvard University with a reception to follow.

Douglas J. Mathisen, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA, USA