Dr. David Paul Sufian

David (“Dave”) Paul Sufian, D.O., F.A.C.O.S., 90, passed away on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in Houston, Texas. Dave was born on March 6, 1935, in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, to Lithuanian, Yiddish-speaking immigrants, Sam Sufian and Bessie Volpyansky Sufian. Dave’s first language was Yiddish, and this remained an important part of his identity throughout his life. Dr. Sufian was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Susan Sufian and Ilene Schier; his brothers, Phil and Aaron Sufian; his brothers- and sisters-in-law, Mel Schier, Libby Sufian, Gloria Sufian, Robert and Frances Kleiner, Marvin and Rita Solomon, and Harold Solomon; and his nephews, Sheldon Solomon and Albert Kleiner. His support for his family was unwavering, and Dave is survived by his wife, Beverly, his daughters, Beth, Sandy, and Aviva Sufian, and his sons-in-law, James Passamano, Elias Murciano, and Steven Krubiner. He is also survived by his sister, Esther Sufian, and brother-in-law Alan Berg, as well as his stepmother, Selma Sufian. He was an exceptionally proud grandfather of Isabella, Joseph, Rafael, and Gefen, a second father to his many nephews and nieces, and someone who was deeply devoted to and loved by all of his extended family and friends. Dave was a lifelong learner who fervently valued education. As a child, he attended Yeshiva Chaim Berlin and sang in the Jewish Boys Choir under Oscar Julius. He won a New York City scholarship to further his music education (beginning with the violin at the Hebrew Educational Society and ultimately becoming a cellist). After losing his mother to heart disease just before his bar mitzvah, his sister, Ilene Schier, moved back to Brooklyn to take care of her brother, and she supported him in developing his skills as a musician. Dave went on to attend Thomas Jefferson High School, where he played cello in the high school orchestra. He successfully auditioned for the New York City All-City Orchestra and played on television with the NBC Orchestra, as well as at Carnegie Hall, which was one of the proudest moments in his life. After high school, Dave served in the US Air Force in the Korean War, where he received four medals of honor. It is in the Air Force that Dave nurtured his interest in medicine, as he served as a medic and surgical orderly. He returned to New York and, as a GI Bill beneficiary, he went on to graduate from Brooklyn College and the Kansas City College of Osteopathy and Surgery, where he won the Mead Johnson award for Outstanding Senior Clinician. He became a cardiovascular thoracic surgeon. Dr. Sufian’s career in medicine was filled with numerous accomplishments. He completed his internship at the Zieger Osteopathic Hospital (Detroit, Michigan), his residency at the Mount Clemens General Hospital (Mount Clemens, Michigan), and a fellowship in pulmonary diseases and thoracic surgery at the Ingham Medical Center (Lansing, Michigan). He was one of the first Doctors of Osteopathy to be accepted as a postdoctoral fellow in the Michael E. DeBakey Cardiovascular Surgery Program at Baylor College of Medicine, where he trained directly under Michael DeBakey; he referred to this as one of the most defining experiences of his medical education. He was triple board-certified and was committed to introducing advanced surgical procedures in the hospitals in which he worked. He served on the active staff and as a consulting surgeon emeritus for the East Houston Medical Center since 1994. He previously chaired the surgery departments at Citizens General Hospital (Houston, Texas) and Eastway General Hospital (Houston, Texas). Dr. Sufian loved to teach medicine. He served as a clinical instructor in the fundamentals of critical care at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and as an examiner, board member, and consultant for the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. Dr. Sufian had numerous articles published in the journal of the American Osteopathic Association and in journals of other medical organizations. He received awards for teaching excellence and was recognized by the American Heart Association for his service on the association’s regional faculty. Throughout his career, and during his retirement, he taught basic, advanced cardiac, and advanced pediatric life support, including a momentous trip to Peru where he provided life support training for local firefighters. He served as the medical director of the EMS training program at Alvin Community College, where he developed new patient evaluation training criteria for paramedics. He received numerous awards for clinical teaching excellence and, in 2005, received the Distinguished Osteopathic Surgeon Award from the American Osteopathic Association, another one of the proudest moments in his life. Dr. Sufian was also a member of the American College of Osteopathic Surgery since 1973, and a Fellow of the College since 1980. He was a member of the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society, the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Angiology, and the International College of Surgeons. Dave loved classical music, opera, klezmer music, technology, Yiddish language and culture, Jewish learning, and playing cello and racquetball. Among his many skills, he was also a locksmith, a watch repairman, a builder and fixer of computers (creating his own company, East Loop Medical Computer Applications), an incomparable diagnostician, and a master whistler. He was a multi-talented individual, and even designed a chuppah that was inspired by Marc Chagall’s “Jerusalem Windows” at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. He was an active member of the Houston Jewish community, the Yiddish Vinkel Houston, the Early Bird group of the Houston JCC Fitness Center, a humanist, and someone who changed the lives of many for the better. Dr. Sufian had profound gratitude for everyone who contributed to his care. He made it a point to say thank you to every doctor, nurse, technician, aide, administrative professional, hospital housekeeper, and so on. It was very important to him that each person understood how important they were to the care team of a patient and that he sincerely appreciated what they were doing to help him. In keeping with this deeply held value, the family would like to express their deepest appreciation to everyone who cared for Dr. Sufian over the past several years. In particular, his cardiologist, Dr. Albert Raizner, who provided world-class care to him for years, and who went to see Dr. Sufian every single day whenever he was in the hospital. And to his devoted team of caregivers, especially to MaryAnn Rodriguez, who provided the most compassionate, professional, and loving care that anyone could ever hope for – the kind of care that Dr. Sufian tried throughout his life to teach clinicians to achieve. Dr. Sufian’s burial took place on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at 10 am at the Beth Yeshurun Post Oak Cemetery, 7445 Awty School Ln, Houston, TX 77055. The funeral service took place at Congregation Beth Yeshurun at 11:30 am, 4525 Beechnut St., Houston, TX 77096, followed by a lunch reception. The service was live-streamed at https://boxcast.tv/view/funeral-for-david-sufian-xygbzc9tyqsz6zzyhaqk The family would appreciate donations in memory of David Sufian be made to the Yiddish Vinkel Houston https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-dr-david-sufian-thru-the-yiddish-vinkel-of-houston and Hatzalah of Houston at www.houstonhatzalah.org. Shiva at Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sunday 6/8 - Tuesday 6/10 at 7:30 pm. Visiting Hours at Beverly Sufian’s Residence: Monday 6/9 - Tuesday 6/10 from 3-5 pm Shiva at Aviva Sufian’s Residence: Wednesday 6/11 - Thursday 6/12 at 7-9 pm

Dr. David Paul Sufian

March 6, 1935 - June 4, 2025