Devoted husband to Ethel for over 66 years; loving father to Marc, Amy, Eve and Jane; zayde to Aaron, Gabriel and William; father-in-law to Devra Cohen and John Heneghan; brother to Harold and Lester and uncle to an impressive group of nieces and nephews.
Born and raised in Worcester, MA., Norman was a graduate of Harvard College and Tufts Medical School and recognized as a pioneer in early breast cancer detection. In 1964, at the age of 33, he became the Chair of the Radiology Department at the Faulkner Hospital. As the founding director of the Faulkner Sagoff Breast Imaging and Diagnostic Center, Norman brought the first dedicated mammography unit to New England. He revolutionized the way women were cared for, giving his patients personalized care and insisting their mammogram results be given the same day to minimize the anxiety of waiting for the doctor to call—and, under his leadership, created a fully integrated breast center with diagnostic and surgical services in the same building. With Norman’s direction The Sagoff Center was held up as a model of best practices for women’s health care.
Renowned breast surgeon Dr. Susan Love wrote about Norman on the occasion of his retirement in 2011, “Most important, he was a terrific mentor to many, I especially appreciated his support of women in medicine. There were few of us and we were not well accepted but Norm always made you feel smart and competent.”
Because of his unparalleled reputation as a compassionate care giver, The Faulkner Hospital named an annual award for excellence in his name, presented to medical practitioners who best exemplify Norman’s commitment to the highest quality, compassionate patient care.
Norman was a long- suffering Red Sox fan who delighted with their turn of fortune in 2004; he also loved a nice nap during concerts at Boston Symphony Hall, playing catch with his grandsons and watching MSNBC.
Above all, Norman was a devoted family man—extremely proud of the accomplishments of his wife, his children, and excited for the promising careers of his grandsons.
A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 1668 Beacon St., BROOKLINE, MA at 3:00PM.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Norman’s name to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
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