Dr. Joseph Emeka Onah

Dr. Onah was born on November 10, 1940 in Ogoja, Nigeria. He is the son of Odama and Onwu Onah. He grew up alongside his three sisters Akpeke, Iwali, and Imadu. After years of watching the mounting political tensions that would eventually drive their home country to conflict, Odama sent his only son away to Europe to escape the impending Biafran Civil War. Dr. Onah was only 16 years old when he departed Nigeria for the first, and only, time in his life.

As Dr. Onah began his education and trained to become a physician, he traveled farther and farther from his home country and encountered many new cities and cultures. He spent 8 years studying in Rome - first as an undergrad at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, then as a medical student at Sapienza University of Rome. He taught himself Italian and became fluent in 3 months, something he would use to surprise his patients to his great delight many years later in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Onah left the Eternal City to begin his internal medicine residency in the quaint town of Pittsfield, MA. He was stationed at Berkshire Medical Center before transferring to University of Pennsylvania Graduate Hospital to complete his program. Dr. Onah remained on the east coast and landed in New York City in 1973 to complete a cardiology fellowship at Maimonides Medical Center, the admitting hospital he would call home for the next 50 years.

Dr. Onah will be remembered for his devotion to serving others, his gentleness, collegiality, and his industriousness. For over 40 years, he ran his own private cardiology practice in Borough Park, Brooklyn, just steps from Maimonides. He often went above and beyond for them - often coming into the office on his day off, bringing work home to pour over medical records, making notes on his mini-tape recorder, and scribbling pages of notes on his yellow legal pads. Many of his patients could call or text him on his personal cell phone - a brave act, as any physician would tell you. He forged many meaningful, lifelong partnerships, friendships and relationships at Maimonides - across departments and disciplines, from nurses to lab techs to cleaning staff. Most important of all, though, it was at Maimonides that Dr. Onah met the woman who would be his wife and life partner for 35 years, Paula Onah (nèe Crooks).

Over those 35 years, Dr. and Mrs. Onah laid down their roots and cultivated a life together in Staten Island, NY. They had three children: Michael, Kimberly, and Joseph. In the months before his passing, Dr. Onah became a grandfather to Malcolm Joe, Michael’s infant son. Dr. Onah’s children will carry on in the warm glow of their father’s charm, his gentle steadfastness, his quiet determination, and his willingness to show up for other people time and time again. They will share memories of a man who loved dominating episodes of “Jeopardy!” from the comfort of his couch as much as he loved giggling at the viral videos and celebrity gossip that was served up on “TMZ.” He will forever live in their hearts and the hearts of the generations that may follow.

Dr. Onah gave to many causes and organizations for years - the Southern Poverty Law Center, St. Teresa’s church (his parish of many decades) and The Ride for Mental Health.

In lieu of flowers, the Onah family kindly encourages you to donate to Memorial Sloan Kettering, which took such good care of him the past two years: https://tinyurl.com/2zka3bup.

"Grief is the price we pay for love."