Dr Pien and I had many conversation while we both were getting treatment.  A very knowledgeable doctor and cared for host patients.  I miss his great knowledge.

Tim Lee

He will always be Dr Pien.  Out of high respect for his medical knowledge and education, and resource skills, somehow I cannot address him any other way.  

Dr Pien loved his family and was proud of his children.  We bonded over our love to travel to hard-to-reach destinations and adventures.  He spoke about his faith and how that would guide his life course.  

My deepest sympathies and condolences to the Pien family.  He will be missed by so many.

He served as a clinical microbiology consultant for Clinical Laboratory of Hawaii. He literally worked until the onset of his final acute illness.

Dr. Pien’s community service activities were extensive. He was a member of multiple Boards including Rehab Hospital of the Pacific, Straub Clinic and Hospital, Hawaii Independent Physicians Association, Interfaith Hospital Chaplaincy Ministry and Samaritan Counseling Center. He was known to hand out cash at times to patients who could not afford their antibiotics.

Dr. Pien was internationally recognized. He was a member of the 1978 NIH funded Delegation of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene to Mainland China. In 1990 he was an Exchange Professor at the University of Osaka School of Medicine. In 2017, he started annual medical missions in Ethiopia as Professor of Microbiology and Pharmacology, Myungsung Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Dr. Pien’s career in Medicine and his life cast a wide net that stretched from our local community and around the globe. He was a learned and inspirational teacher and mentor to many. He was a tireless clinician who never turned down a consult and did not believe in the Duty Hours. He leaves a legacy of the spirit of inquiry, an appreciation of the research endeavor and mindfulness and preservation of medical resources. He raised three sons, two of whom,  Brian  and Ethan are active practicing physicians in ID and Psychiatry, respectively.  He lived his life with generous Christian values and this strong faith gave him a peaceful final passage.

Dr. Francis Pien graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA from Johns Hopkins, received his medical degree from the University of Chicago, and did his Internal Medicine internship at the University of Illinois. He then spent the next three years at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester completing his Internal Medicine residency and a fellowship in Microbiology. This was followed by a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Stanford University. He earned  Master’s degrees in Microbiology from the University of Minnesota and  in Public Health/International Health from Johns Hopkins. He put his extensive training to good use by sharing his wealth of knowledge through decades of teaching students and  residents. He provided didactic lectures as well as clinical electives. He won numerous UH teaching awards. His list of publications is extensive; many contain shared authorship with his former students and residents reflecting his strong mentorship in research. He won numerous Straub Excellence in Research awards. Those of us who have done rotations with him have memory of his wall of files crammed with journal articles that he read, quoted and distributed continuously. When traveling he would take stacks of journals in his suitcases. 

Dr. Pien served as the Associate Program Director for the University of Hawaii Integrated Medical Residency Program from 1977 - 1990. He served as Chief of Infectious Diseases until he retired from the paid faculty in 1993. He rejoined the clinical faculty in the Dept of Medicine in 2002. He also held an appointment as Clinical Professor in the Department of Tropical Medicine.

From 1974 - 2001, Dr. Pien worked at Straub Clinic providing clinical care in Infectious Diseases, overseeing the Microbiology lab and Infection Control. In 2001, he started his private practice of Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. He provided Infection Control consultant services for a number of institutions including Leahi Hospital, Kahuku Hospital, Wahiawa General Hospital

Frank and his sister Diane were raised by Chung Ling and Nung Chung Lee Pien in Detroit and Cincinnati. He became a Christian at age 16. After finishing high school in Cincinnati, Frank earned his bachelor's degree and Masters in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. He earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago. While in Chicago he met his wife Harriet. They completed their medical residency programs at the Mayo Clinic. He served many through his career in internal medicine and infectious disease. His career included patient care, teaching, and research. He worked incredibly hard, 7 days a week, until he had to medically retire at age 81. Frank enjoyed traveling, spending time with his family, and decorating for holidays (including dozens of nutcrackers purchased during post-Christmas sales). He was a gregarious and generous man who loved Jesus and loved telling others about Jesus. He is survived by Harriet and their sons Brian (Hsin Ming), Ethan (Joyce), and Kevin (Roxanne); grandchildren Cameron, Matthew, Calla, Grayson, Cody, Owen, and Toby; sister Diane (Merle), niece Sonya.

I shared many patients with Frank, He was a great infectious disease doctor and a great friend,  I will miss him with love

Dr. Pien was a man with a plethora of knowledge.  I am so grateful for the lessons that I learned from him in the short time that I have had to opportunity to work with him.  I loved his stories that he shared of the trips that he went on to help those who were less fortunate in other countries.  I was always so amazed at how much he cared for others and how he wanted to ensure that all were able to get the care and help that they needed.  He made it all look and feel so easy to do.  I could tell that he loved what he did and those who had the opportunity to see it firsthand are fortunate.  He will be missed.  May he rest in peace.  Aloha Oe, Dr. Pien, until we meet again!

OBITUARY

Francis D. Pien

April 7, 1945 – September 14, 2026

Borthwick Mortuary

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