Dr. Lawrence James Pass

It is with profound sadness, but also a sense of sincere gratitude for a life well-lived, that the family of Dr. Lawrence James Pass announces his passing on June 19, 2019 at the age of 67 years. Dr. Pass will forever be remembered and loved by his wife of 42 years, Jan, his two sons, David and Michael, and his daughter-in-law, Alexa. He is also survived by his sisters Joan Kozoll and Linda Neuringer and his in-laws Isabel and Mark Schiffer, Margo and Jeff Barbakow and Charles Kozoll.

Larry Pass was raised in Nashville by his parents, Dr. Bernard and Ann Pass. Following his completion of Hillwood High School in 1969, he attended Vanderbilt University, Northwestern Medical School and trained as a cardiothoracic surgeon at the University of Rochester and Yale University. After returning to Nashville in 1989 with his family, Dr. Pass practiced cardiothoracic surgery at Centennial Medical Center until his death.

He participated to the fullest in all of his endeavors. He served as president of the student body and captain of the football team at Hillwood, president of the Sigma Chi Fraternity at Vanderbilt, Chief Resident and Instructor of General Surgery at Rochester and Chief Resident and Instructor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Yale. Dr. Pass also served on the Northwest Medical School Alumni Board and the Board of Centennial Medical Center.

The pillars of Larry’s life were his love of family, his dedication to his patients and colleagues, kindness to all he encountered and a deep sense of joy in life. He relished his years as a camper at Camp Hylake and later being camp doctor at Thunderbird in Minnesota where his sons were campers. Larry coached both of his sons in little league baseball and basketball; he actively participated in their lives and supported them in all their endeavors. His constant companion and partner was Jan, with whom he enjoyed a happy marriage of over 42 years.

He loved classic rock—in particular Steely Dan, The Eagles, Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr. He attended concerts across the country and internationally with his wife. Larry was an avid golfer and could be found most weekends on the course at Hillwood Country Club. He treasured friendship and maintained close relations with friends from elementary school, high school, college, medical school, the golf course and work; he also cared deeply for the friends of his wife and his children.

For Larry, the life of the mind was a noble and essential pursuit. His dedication to the field of medicine was both academic and clinical. At Vanderbilt, he majored in Psychology and English, and he pursued a keen understanding of human nature through literature and philosophy. Throughout his life he read widely; the subjects he chose—whether literature, history or sciences—were often sparked by conversations with friends and colleagues and his wife and sons, and he would discuss these topics with passion.

The funeral will be held on Sunday, June 23 at 2:00 pm at The Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom, 5015 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205. A burial at The Temple Cemetery will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Larry may be made to any charity of your choice.