Peter H. Dragonas ’59 died on November 11, 2024, in Danvers, Massachusetts.

(The following was provided by Legacy.com in November 11, 2024:)

Peter H. Dragonas ’59

With the passing of Dr. Peter Henri Dragonas on November 11, the world of infertility medicine lost one of its most zealous practitioners, at the age of 87. He was born in Salem, July 13, 1937, to John and Marina Dragonas. After completing his undergraduate education at Bowdoin College in 1959, where he received his B.A. in biology and chemistry, he attended the University of Athens and received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1967. Dr. Dragonas pursued his internship in surgery at St. Lukes/Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and residency in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He entered the United States Navy between 1971 and 1973 and was posted in Boston at the Chelsea Naval Hospital, where he was instrumental in instituting specialized care programs, training male nurses and corpsman in the care of female patients. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Lt. Commander and received a presidential citation and letter of appreciation from President Richard Nixon. Dr. Dragonas was a member of the medical faculties of the Harvard Medical School and the Tufts Medical School, where he distinguished himself as a brilliant clinical instructor. Dr. Dragonas began his private practice in 1973, where his specialties included fertility surgery, microsurgery, CO2 laser surgery, laparoscopy and surgical endoscopy. His sole mission was to help families with their infertility problems. Patients came from around the world to seek the doctor’s guidance and medical care. In this mission, he made many families very happy. Dr. Dragonas loved to travel with his family on the highways and byways of America and Europe, with his favorite destination being his beloved Greece, where he would connect with his extended family on his ancestral island of Zakynthos. He loved art, architecture, and literature, particularly the works of Lord Byron, and was deeply involved in the Greek Orthodox Church and its teachings. He also was a trustee for the Hellenic College in Brookline. The game of golf was a big part of Dr. Dragonas’s life. He started as a caddy at the Myopia Hunt Club in his youth, and continued playing scratch golf until his death. Dr. Peter Dragonas is survived by Peter H. Dragonas III of Santa Monica, CA, and his children, Nicholas and Erik; Justin D. Dragonas and his wife, Candice, of Encino, CA, and their daughter, Scarlett; Damaris S. Dragonas and her husband, Michael P. Burns, and their daughter, Winona, of Nevada City, CA; and sister Jane D. Perkins of New Canaan, CT. In addition to his parents, Peter was predeceased by sister Dr. Phyllis J. Dragonas; brother, Denis J. Dragonas; and brother-in-law George A. Perkins. Ultimately Dr. Dragonas affected too many people to count, whether in a medical setting or on a random street corner. He always took the time to talk to and listen to people’s stories of love, joy, pain, and tragedy. It didn’t matter. He just loved people