In Memory of Robert L. Elliott, Jr. M.D.

Robert L. Elliott Jr. M.D., Ph.D died January 31, 2021. He is survived by his wife Mary C. Elliott M.D. and his five children Valerie Troiani, Robert L. Elliott III, Allison Rolston PA-C, Mark Elliott M.D, and Mary Ghere M.D. He left behind 16 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. “Perhaps no American physician in recent years has had a greater impact on various fields of medicine than the man his patients affectionately referred to as “Dr. Bob.” He was the youngest member of the surgical team in 1963 that performed the world’s first lung transplant under Dr. James Hardy. He developed America’s first patented autologous breast cancer vaccine. The U.S. Navy Cancer Vaccine Program, largely focused on fighting prostate cancer, was based mainly on his work. His countless scholarships to deserving youth to go into medicine had a profound impact on improving health care in the rural South. In 2011, America’s National Rural Health Association bestowed upon him its prestigious “National Medical Researcher of the Year Award.” And his pioneering mitochondrial research laid the foundation for treatments of various neurodegenerative diseases and perhaps even future space travel. Yes, “Dr. Bob” was one of a kind. “