Missoula - Dr. J. Bruce Beckwith, 91, passed away in the afternoon, Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at home surrounded by his beloved wife Nancy, and his cats. What follows is Bruce Beckwith, in his own words:

Bruce was born on September 18, 1933 to parents who provided the perfect foundation for a happy and successful life. Growing up in Saint Ignatius, a town that was then more attractive than in recent years, he had greater affection for books and animals than for other more typical boyhood interests. His father, growing up during the period when the automobile was becoming popular, developed a love for cars that led to his career as owner of a gas station that was often occupied by men playing cards and enjoying friendly conversation. Bruce's parents allowed him to pursue his own path through boyhood without pressuring him to become involved in athletics or other typical social activities.

Bruce enjoyed school classes, and always stood at or near the top of the class, but has scant interest in those other typical social activities. His younger sister, Sue, spent her high school years in Walla Walla, and during a visit to that town, Bruce discovered Whitman College which proved to be the perfect place to pursue his college education. He joined a fraternity composed mostly of scholars instead of social and athletic leaders and had a happy, successful college career. He soon discovered that the heavier his course work, the better grades he made. One of his biology professors, Arthur Rempel, was particularly inspirational, and was a major factor in his decision to seek a career in medicine.

At Whitman, he developed a relationship with a classmate from California, Lorna Gourlay, and by taking a few courses at the University of California during the summer after his second year, was able to graduate in three years, ranked second in his class. Accepted by the University of Washington School of Medicine, he married Lorna in September 1954, shortly after his graduation from Whitman. She was primarily responsible for their support, but soon became pregnant with their first daughter, who was born in March 1956. This required Bruce to be the primary income provider. Working during the academic year was discouraged by the school, but local hospitals employed a few medical students to record histories and physical examinations for patents admitted for surgery. After his second year, this made it possible for him to earn enough to sustain the family, living in Yesler Terrace, a housing project for low-income families in Seattle. During his third year, the school discovered that he was violating their restriction concerning working during the academic year. When called to the Dean's office to explain himself, he related that he had no alternative due to family responsibility. The Dean indicated that since he was doing quite well, he could continue working evenings as long as he continued to succeed in his studies. In 1957, his second daughter was born.

During his second year, Bruce developed an interest in the field of pathology. During his final year, Bruve indicated during a conversation with Dr. Bob Aldrich, Chair of Pediatrics that he had originally been interested in pathology, but was finding pediatrics t o be equally interesting. What Bob told Bruce, made his career decision easy. "Did you know there is a field called 'pediatric pathology?'" Hearing those two words together gave him a path to the career he would embark upon.

Specialized internships were just being introduced and Aldrich had been developing an intership in clinical pediatrics for several years. He told Bruce and a classmate planning to become a pediatric radiologist that they would be perfect "test pilot" for that intership program. This suggestion which provided a unique foundation for their careers was followed by another unique opportunity for Bruce. The new head of pathology at Los Angeles Children's Hospital, Dr. Daniel Stowens, had ended the tradition of employing interns from other institutions for a brief exposure to pediatric pathology, replacing them with two trainees who would spend an entire year in pediatric pathology. Bruce and his fellow intern, who would become the head of Pediatric Pathology at the University of British Columbia, had a spectacular year at LACH. During that year, Bruce discovered cases in the older files that had some unique features that would later be designated the "Beckwith-Wiedermanm Syndrome (BWS)."

Following the year at LACH, Bruce served as Resident in Pahology at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in LA from 1962-64 and two subsequent years at LACH. The birth of a second daughter had created the need for more income, and Bruce obtained a position as deputy with the Los Angeles Coroner's Office, going to funeral homes throughout the county to examine and when necessary perform autopsies on patients reported to that office. Because of his unusual pediatric experience, Phillip Lieberman, the person responsible for assigning cases to the deputies made a point of selecting pediatric cases for Bruce whenever possible. This unique opportunity to investigate cases of sudden infant death from one of the most populous counties  in the nation enabed his recognition of what would later be termed Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Thediscovery of BWS and SIDS during his training years became his most important contributions to knowledge.

In 1966, Bruce and his family returned to Seattle Children's Hospital, where he would serve for many years as head of Anatomical Pathology under Dr. Allison Creighton, Director of Labortatories and head of the Clinical Pathology laboratories. During his Seattle years, Bruce wrote numerous aticles and several books, and became increasingly well known in his field. He was designated the pathology reviewer for a national multicenter study of Wilms' Tumor, the most common malignant tumor ofe pediatric kidney. This provided a unique opportunity to discover several neoplasms formerly considered as Wilms tumor and to further explore the pathogenesis of pediatric renal neoplasa.

Despite increaing national and international stature in his profession, family life was less ideal. His wife was entirely focused on raising and training three fine daughters in the domestic arts and allowed no discussion of his work at home. After a brief separation, Lorna tragically passed away due to the accidental administration of the wrong medications by a hospital nurse prior to a planned surgical procedute.

In 1984, Nancy Browning, an accomplished woman, with a master's degree in wildlife biology, applied for a secretarial position in Bruce's laboratory. The interviewer indicated that this position would involve typing Dr. Beckwith's correspondences, drafts of his publications. His notoriously abysmal handwriting had led to the departure of several previous secretaries and despite all of that, when she was shown an example, she laughed loudly. Bruce would later relate that upon hearing her delightful laughter, he liked her immediately. That fondness grew into a close professional, and ultimately a rewarding personal relationship. Because of her strong education, she not only typed the papers, but made substantial improvements to them. This happy relationship led to a wonderful marriage that endured to his death.

Following several years at Children's Hospital of Seattle, Bruce was recruited to Children's Hospital in Denver, where he served for several years. Several of his resident trainees in Denver were from Loma Linda University, an institution whose student body were largely limited to members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Those residents convinced their alma mater to offer a faculty position to Bruce, which would provide the same salary as at Denver but without the heavy administrative load that position typically entailed. He was able to give a few lectures per year, and was available to institutions from around the world who invited him to serve as a visiting professor for varying lengths of time. This unique opportunity enabled Bruce and Nancy to spend time in many countries during the remaining years of his career. He authored or co-authored several textbooks and approximately 300 articles in various scientific journals. Among numerous awards and distinctions, he served a term as President of the Society for Pediatric Pathology, was named an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists in England and was the 2006 recipient of the Distinguished Pathologist award of the US and Canadian Academy of Pathology.

By the time Bruce reached his retirement, he and Nancy found that Missoula, Montana, not far from his boyhood home, was the ideal place to live. They built a home, enjoying happy lives surrounded by cats, birds and books. His collection of books was donated to the Smithsonian, and he spent his last days looking out the window of their happy home at the wooded gully behind their home, before passing on January 21, 2025.