Dear Colleagues-Friends:

I am saddened to share the news of the death of Hunter H. McGuire Jr., who died in Richmond on July 30, 2018.

An alumnus of the Class of 1955, he also completed his surgery training with us and went on to a 35-year career in the medical school. During his tenure, he served in many important leadership roles including assistant dean for students, as interim dean of the medical school and also as chief of surgery at the McGuire VA Medical Center. I especially admired Dr. McGuire’s enthusiasm for encouraging, educating and training medical students and residents who now serve as a living legacy to his mentorship.

While Dr. McGuire always took great pride in medicine and in his alma mater, his interests were broad as was his knowledge about life. He contributed a number of very thoughtful letters to the editor in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and was working on a stimulating article on the future of health care right up to his passing. He was an avid reader and a painter. He was also a great student of history – and there was much to be found in his own family. A fifth-generation physician, he was the great-grandson and namesake of surgeon Hunter Holmes McGuire, M’1860, who helped found the University College of Medicine that would go on to merge with the Medical College of Virginia in 1913. His great experience, intellect, and wisdom made his advice so helpful to many of us.

Additional information about his life, career and accomplishments can be found in a moving tribute from Vigneshwar Kasirajan, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Surgery, and Jeannie F. Savas, M.D., professor and chief of surgical services at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has also published a tribute to his life.

A graveside service will be held on August 4, 2018. Details on the service can be found online.

We have been privileged to have such a great colleague as an alumnus and as a longtime faculty member of our school. His legacy is powerful and will endure.


Our thoughts are with this wife, Alice, and his family.

Peter F. Buckley, M.D.
Dean, VCU School of Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, VCU Health System