Sanford Alvin Stass MD

Sanford “Sandy” Alvin Stass, 82, of Williamsburg, Virginia passed away peacefully on September 9, 2025. Born in Bellingham, Washington on August 28, 1943, he was the beloved child of Ida and Morris Stass. Sandy is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Ann, sister Carolyn, one nephew, and three nieces, and was preceded in death by his parents.

Dr. Stass received his BA degree in 1965 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and his MD degree in 1971 from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Sandy’s post graduate education includes a Pathology Residency at both the Naval Regional Medical Center in San Diego, California and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC. He completed his residency in 1976.

Dr. Stass was a visionary leader, pioneering scientist, and compassionate mentor. He dedicated more than three decades of his life at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland to advancing the fields of pathology and medical research. As Chair of both the Department of Pathology and the Department of Medical & Research Technology and Medical Director of the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Laboratories of Pathology, he transformed these programs into recognized centers of excellence. Dr. Stass was a key leader in the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s large scale COVID testing for the State of Maryland. More than 750,000 COVID tests were processed for State of Maryland entities, to include universities, nursing home facilities, urgent care locations, and correctional facilities, which was a testament to his unwavering commitment to public health. He was Director of the initial University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center Program in Oncology from 1997-2003 and was the principal investigator on the NCI grant that led to the Cancer Center’s certification as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was instrumental in the creation of the State of Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund which provides important funding to the operations of the current University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Stass was widely known for his major contributions in the molecular biology and immunologic characterizations of leukemias and lymphomas, particularly as a researcher in biomarker development and validation. Specifically, he pioneered the identification of the abnormality in a type of leukemia called pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was the first to use a chromosomal change as a sign to detect very small amounts of the disease left after treatment in lymphoma. Also, he was one of the first to amplify a specific gene message as a marker for tiny amounts of remaining disease in chronic myeloid leukemia. He helped reveal the differences within acute leukemias, which was a significant advancement in understanding how cells commit to a certain path and for choosing the correct treatment. Dr. Stass was the principal investigator on a grant funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) from 2005 until his retirement in 2024, where he worked toward the development and testing of promising new lung cancer biomarkers. He published more than 230 peer-reviewed articles during his career.

Dr. Stass had numerous professional affiliations, including Director and Founder, Molecular Diagnostics Associates, Molecular Oncology Testing, University of Texas MD Anderson; Scientific Advisory Board, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Department of Defense; Chair, NIH/NCI/EDRN Collaboration. He was Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Hematopathology and Molecular Hematology; Co-Editor, Hematology Series, Founder and Editor, Diagnostic Pathology Series, Marcel Dekker Inc, and was a Member of the Editorial Board of Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stass also served as Chair, Postmortem Examiners Commission for the State of Maryland and was a Member of the Editorial Board of Cancer Biomarkers.

Dr. Stass served as a pathologist and faculty member at several prominent institutions from 1976 until his retirement to include: the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis TN, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston TX and in 1994 until his retirement in November 2024, Professor of Pathology and Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, School of Medicine.

Beyond his clinical, research, and educational achievements, Dr. Stass was widely known for his mentorship, integrity, and humanity. He fostered a culture of excellence and compassion, leaving an indelible mark on generations of students, researchers, and colleagues. Dr. Stass’ legacy will continue to inspire and shape the future of medicine.

A graveside service will be held on September 16, 2025, at the Peninsula Memorial Park in Newport News, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The University of Missouri School of Medicine.

https://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/news/2025/in-memoriam-sanford-stass-md-longtime-chair-of-the-department-of-pathology-and-the-department-of-medical--research-technology.html