Dr. William J. Osher ’42 died on March 24, 2008.

He was born on September 20, 1921, in Biddeford, Maine. After his graduation from Bowdoin, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, he earned his doctorate of medicine at State University of New York. He served in the Army Medical Corps and married Mary Louise Packard, with whom he raised four children. After completing his residency and fellowships, he established a cardiology practice in Tulsa, Okla., and later became chief of medicine at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa. He pursued a love of mathematics in studies at the University of Tulsa and was appointed adjunct professor there. In 1973, he was appointed to the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine; in 2003, he was honored by Marion and Herbert Sandler by the establishment of the William Osher Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine. Following the death of his wife Mary Louise in 1979, he was married to Patricia Fox, and for the last 15 years, he enjoyed the company of his companion Muriel Phillips. Dr. Osher participated in work carried out by Physicians for Human Rights and was a member of various humanitarian organizations, establishing the William and Mary Louise Osher foundation to continue his commitment to these causes. He is survived by two daughters,Anne and Beth; a son, Henry; a sister, Marion Sandler; two brothers, Harold Osher ’44 and Bernard Osher ’48; three grandchildren; and a cousin, Keith D. Merdek ’96.