Gerald Rosen

Dr. Gerald Rosen (Jerry), devoted healer, teacher, creator, chef, comedian, father, and husband, died in the loving arms of his wife Elaine on December 6, 2022, at NYU Langone Medical Center after living an extraordinarily impactful 83 years. Born to the lovely Rae Patt, a Belarusian immigrant, seamstress and model, and Nathan Rosen, a manufacturer of leather goods, Jerry grew up in Jamaica, Queens with his little sister and prank victim, Carole. Jerry quickly excelled in science and math at Jamaica High, where he also made mischief with his good friend Billy, often sneaking off to the racetrack which earned him the “punishment” of teaching calculus to fellow students. A physics savant, also dubbed “best dressed” by his senior class, Jerry went on to MIT where he nourished his appetite for the sciences. He then set off to Stanford for medical school, resolved to be a physicist, but ultimately pursuing medicine, and specifically oncology, spurred by the early passing of his mother Rae by brain tumor. Jerry started his career completing his post-ROTC service at the NIH where he worked in a lab with the Nirenberg team on cracking the RNA code. He made his way back to NYC where began a remarkable career saving lives as a pediatric oncologist at Sloan Kettering. Committed to curing cancer and saving children and adults alike by always thinking outside the box and exemplifying Shaw’s “unreasonable man,” Jerry pioneered preoperative chemotherapy treatments for osteogenic sarcomas in the late 1970s and early 80s. In doing so he saved countless lives. What’s more, Jerry committed to teaching his methods to doctors worldwide, forging international friendships with colleagues in Austria, France, Germany, Japan, and elsewhere, sharing the common goal of curing a disease that impacts so many. Through his selfless teaching and creative healing, Jerry earned the Pierre and Marie Curie medal from the Ligue Nationale Francaise Contre Le Cancer in 1993. After founding the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, Jerry made his way back to NYC, continuing to save lives at St. Vincent’s and then NYU. A loving husband and father, Jerry devoted himself to his five children, Jennifer (Nick), Eric (Lindsey), Lauren, Luke (Sally), and Mark (Krista)—instilling in them the drive and freedom to pursue their passions, whatever they may be. On the home front, Jerry was an adventurous chef and carpenter, and never lost his side-splitting sense of humor. In recent years, Jerry enjoyed spending time with and following the exploits of the true loves of his life: his devoted and caring wife, Elaine, and his beautiful grandchildren, Zachary, Julia, Laila, Sofie, Nate, Nat, and Susannah—the lights of his life and his legacy. In lieu of flowers, please consider Jerry’s dearest cause: https://www.kif1a.org/