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I am making this long post in tribute to a man who was, in large part, responsible for my joining this List some years ago. Dr. Miller was my ex-father-in-law (I married his daughter after the death of my first wife from cancer, and the marriage was fraught with all kinds of pain which I will not relate here; we have been divorced for some time), with whom I had maintained contact both professionally and with love and care. David was a retired Professor of Medicine from SUNY Buffalo (where he had founded the Department of Medicine there), and, at the time of his death, was living with his son in Pepeekeo, Hawaii, after living in the San Francisco Bay Area following his retirement from Buffalo. David had trained countless physicians during his long career and was highly respected in his field. Shortly after I began to have a relationship with my ex-wife (my second wife was a close friend of my first wife), I got to know David really well. He opened himself to my three daughters from my widowed marriage and my girls looked upon him as "Grandpa". In 1987, shortly after his daughter and I were married, he had a fall and sustained a serious injury to a leg (which required multiple surgeries); in retrospect, his fall was due to incipient Parkinson's disease. During his recovery from the leg surgery, he came to live with me for a short time; and, it was during that time, when I could observe him daily, that I became aware that he had early PD. When his own physician ridiculed the diagnosis, I "took him on" as a patient, and prescibed Sinemet, following which he had a dramatic improvement; and after many months of inactivity, was able to resume a normal lifestyle. He had many good years afterwards (Eldepryl and other drugs were subsequently added), and he moved to Hawaii (The Big Island) in the summer of 1993. I tried to maintain contact with David after that move; but the stresses in the family were such that it was difficult (my wife's siblings were not pleased that, despite the divorce, David and I remained close). In the last months, his condition deteriorated; and I received word, just yesterday, that he had peacefully died in his sleep. He was 93 years old, had more than ten "good years" after diagnosis; and retained his mental abilities "to the end". During his long lifetime, David Kimball Miller brought relief of suffering to many. He knew that I was an active participant on this List and enjoyed the printed postings which I sent him from time to time. He will be missed by his family and colleagues. I offer this post to his memory. Best, Bob *********************************** ROBERT A. FINK, M. D., F.A.C.S. Neurological Surgery 2500 Milvia Street Suite 222 Berkeley, CA 94704-2636 USA Phone: (510) 849-2555 FAX: (510) 849-2557 WWW: <http://www.dovecom.com/rafink/> mailto:[log in to unmask] "Ex Tristitia Virtus" ***********************************