Dr. Eugene Rudolph Passamani

Dr. Eugene Rudolph Passamani, 79, a cardiologist, passed away at home in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 2025, surrounded by his family. The cause was complications from frontotemporal dementia.

Born on April 26, 1945, in Iron River, Michigan, Gene was the epitome of the strong, silent type: a quiet man with modest, self-effacing Midwestern manners, who was loath to take credit for any of his accomplishments, but who could always be relied upon by friends and family in times of need or distress.

A physician-scientist to his core, Gene studied biology at the University of Michigan, and graduated in 1971 as valedictorian from the University of Michigan Medical School, where he received the Roche Award and the Merck Manual Award. From there, he went on to serve his internship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and he completed his residency and fellowship in cardiology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Following his internship, Gene was recruited by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, where he spent 20 years conducting research and clinical trials. With over 70 peer-reviewed publications to his name, Gene was instrumental in initiating the groundbreaking Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) clinical trials treating heart attacks, which saved thousands of lives. A commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, he was awarded their Distinguished Service Medal in 1993. For more than 30 years, Gene was a consultant to the Central Intelligence Agency, where he was recognized for his exceptional and valued contributions to the Agency’s mission.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Gene was also a practicing doctor in the Emergency Department at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. After his service at the NIH, Gene went on to a long career in management at the Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. A fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, Gene served on the scientific advisory committee of the Leducq Foundation, one of the largest private cardiovascular research foundations in the world. He was a longtime member of the Cosmos Club and the Clinico-Pathological Society of Washington, D.C.

Gene was predeceased by his parents, Rudolph and Virginia Passamani. In addition to his beloved wife of 44 years, Patricia, he is survived by his six younger siblings, Catherine, Bruce, John, Peter, Gina, and Virginia; twelve nieces and nephews; his daughter, Elise (Nick Schulz); and the love of his life, his granddaughter, Dina, who called him “Boppy.”

His memorial service will be private.

Donations in Gene’s memory can be made to Capital Caring Health (www.capitalcaring.org) or to the National Cathedral School for Girls (www.ncs.org).