Daniel H. Connor

CONNOR, Daniel H. MD, 91, renowned pathologist and specialist in tropical diseases, died of natural causes on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at the Asbury Methodist Village retirement community in Gaithersburg, MD. Born on March 26, 1928 in Aylmer, Ontario, Daniel Connor moved from Canada to Washington, D.C. as a teenager with his family when his father accepted a posting to help settle WW II reparations. He went on to graduate from Queen’s University (Canada) receiving his MD in 1953.

He interned at what is now the Washington Hospital Center and trained in pathology at Emergency and George Washington University hospitals. He served in the US Army as Chief, Laboratory Service, at the 47th Field Evacuation and Irwin Army Hospitals in Fort Riley, Kansas from 1957-59.

As a civilian he then joined the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in Washington, D.C., remaining there until his retirement in 1987. At the AFIP he became Chief of the Geographic Pathology Division in 1967, and from 1970 to 1987 chaired the Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Pathology as well as serving as Registrar, Registry of Geographic Pathology.

Dr. Connor researched infectious, parasitic and tropical diseases, spending 5 years in tropical Africa studying diseases including onchocerciasis, streptocerciasis, schistosomiasis, Buruli ulcer, leprosy, elephantiasis, leishmaniasis, sparganosis, microsporidiosis and endomyocardial fibrosis. He and his colleagues described new conditions concerning these diseases. He first encountered fatal tuberculosis as a medical student when a friend died of the disease, then with the Inuit in northern Canada in 1951, and later in Uganda while supervising an active autopsy service – 2,600 autopsies in 2.5 years. Even then, in the pre-AIDS era, he saw first hand how tuberculosis was the leading killer of young adults in East Africa.

Dr. Connor was a prolific publisher, authoring over 180 scientific papers. He was the primary author and editor of two books on infectious diseases: The Pathology of Tropical and Extraordinary Diseases and the comprehensive Pathology of Infectious Diseases, which received book of the year awards from Doody’s and the British Medical Association’s for clinical and basic sciences.

He served the World Health Organization as an Advisor, the American Board of Pathology from 1972 through 1981, as consultant, then as a member of the test committee on medical microbiology. He chaired The U.S. National Committee, International Council of Societies of Pathology and served on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed international scientific journals.

Teaching played a prominent role throughout his career. From 1988 to 1999, Dr. Connor taught pathology at Georgetown University where the students awarded him three Golden Apple awards (a Golden Orchard) for professional and personal qualities that enhanced their medical education. He helped develop the course on infectious diseases given by the AFIP, trained postgraduate scholars, research fellows from many countries around the world supported by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, and he also trained medical consultants and professors during their sabbaticals. He served as visiting professor to international institutions including in University of Malawi College of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, the University of Natal, Durban, and the University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

In retirement Dr. Connor spent long summers at his cottage in Ontario, Canada. He cherished his place in the Canadian Shield for 65 years. He was known for his sense of humor reciting many limericks by heart and for his curiosity. For example, he studied North American red squirrels, which led to participation in 3 programs on Canada’s Discovery Channel.

Dr. Connor was predeceased by Norma W. Connor, his first wife of 59 years, and is survived by Jean Handcock, his second wife of 5 years. He is also survived by three children: Adrienne Dooman of Burlington, VT, Paul Connor of Bethesda, MD and Daniel Connor of Montclair, NJ, six grandchildren and a large extended family in the US and Canada.

A memorial service is planned with the date to be announced once the Coronavirus risk subsides. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making contributions to the Global Partners program of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) online at ASCP Foundation or check to 500 South Canyon Drive, Suite 321, Palm Springs, CA 92264. This program supports the education of pathologists from lesser developed countries.