Dr. John R. Stroehlein

Dr. John Robert Stroehlein, a distinguished physician, educator, and leader in the field of gastroenterology, passed away peacefully on Monday, the 9th of June 2025, at his home in Houston, surrounded by family and close friends. He was 84 years of age.

Born on the 1st of July 1940, in Anna-Jonesboro, Illinois, Dr. Stroehlein was the son of a skilled tailor and a devoted homemaker. Raised in a principled and nurturing home, he developed an early sense of purpose. At the age of five, inspired by the town physician, he declared his intention to become a doctor—a calling he would pursue with lifelong devotion.

Even as he followed a determined path toward medicine, he cultivated a love for communication and storytelling. As a young man, he worked as a sports editor for the county newspaper and as a radio announcer—formative experiences that helped shape the compassionate bedside manner for which he became known.

Dr. Stroehlein earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1963, followed by an M.D. from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1967. From 1968 to 1974, he completed three residencies at the Mayo Clinic, interrupted only by a call to duty during the Vietnam War, where he served with distinction as a Battalion Surgeon in the 24th Evacuation Hospital, one of the conflict’s busiest military medical facilities.

At Mayo Clinic, Dr. Stroehlein translated his childhood calling into a distinguished career in gastroenterology, drawn to the complexity of gastrointestinal diseases. He performed the first upper GI endoscopy at Mayo and was the first to describe clindamycin-associated colitis—preceding the identification of Clostridioides difficile. He also conducted pioneering studies validating fecal occult blood testing as a tool for colorectal cancer screening.

In 1977, Dr. Stroehlein’s groundbreaking work attracted the attention of Dr. R. Lee Clark, founding president of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, who invited him to lead the institution’s Gastroenterology Section. At MD Anderson, Dr. Stroehlein built a nationally recognized research program and laboratory, while simultaneously maintaining a full clinical practice and training future physicians.

Over the course of four decades at MD Anderson, Dr. Stroehlein served under all five of the institution’s presidents, driving major advances in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal cancers. In 1999, he was named the inaugural holder of the Dan and Lillie Sterling Professorship in Gastroenterology. His responsibilities deepened over the years that followed—first as interim Chair, then as Deputy Chair, and ultimately as Chair of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. From 2006 until his retirement, he also served as Medical Co-Director of the Department of Patient Affairs, championing compassionate, dignified care for every patient.

Dr. Stroehlein’s influence extended beyond MD Anderson. He held appointments at all major academic centers in the Texas Medical Center—including Houston Methodist Hospital, where he oversaw the Endoscopy Department. Across institutions, his focus remained the same: to elevate standards of care and shape the future of clinical practice.

His impact on academic medicine was equally profound. A passionate teacher and visionary, he organized the first three international conferences on colon cancer in the 1980s and co-edited the seminal textbook Gastrointestinal Cancer in 1981. He launched a collaborative fellowship training program between MD Anderson and UTHealth, and was instrumental in establishing MD Anderson’s Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy Fellowship. Perhaps most enduringly, he mentored countless trainees—offering steady guidance, intellectual rigor, and the thoughtful assurance of someone who had never wavered from his original purpose.

Though he never sought accolades, Dr. Stroehlein received numerous honors for his contributions to medicine. Notably, he was the first UTHealth faculty member to be awarded the national Humanism in Medicine Award. The University of Texas Regents established the John Stroehlein Professorship in Gastroenterology in his honor, and grateful patients endowed the John Stroehlein Lecture Series to carry forward his legacy. He was also the recipient of MD Anderson’s highest faculty honor: the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Beyond medicine, Dr. Stroehlein led a life of wide-ranging interests and quiet generosity. A devoted patron of the arts, he supported the Houston Symphony, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Houston Young Artists’ Concert. He also worked tirelessly to foster goodwill and cultural exchange between the United States and Japan, supporting visiting physicians, musicians, and artists through his involvement with the Japan-America Society of Houston.

His faith remained a guiding force throughout his life. A longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Houston, he supported its mission and music ministries with heartfelt commitment.

Dr. Stroehlein’s legacy is one of medical excellence, mentorship, and thoughtful compassion. His life’s work will continue to inspire generations of physicians and global citizens alike.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Miwa Sakashita; his son and daughter-in-law, John and Melissa Stroehlein; and his grandson, Luke Stroehlein.

The family offers their deepest gratitude to the many friends, colleagues, and caregivers who supported Dr. Stroehlein in recent years, with special thanks to Dr. Holly Holmes, Dr. Gottumukkala Raju, Dr. Arthur Tarbox, and Maria Vasquez.

A funeral service is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 29th of June, at First United Methodist Church, 1320 Main Street in Houston.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the nearby Fellowship Hall.

At a later time, the family will gather for a private interment at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the First United Methodist Church of Houston Choir, 1320 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002 or to the Japan-America Society of Houston at www.jas-hou.org, where a fund for the sharing of cultural arts has been established in his honor.

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