March 3, 2011 - 4:16pm
'U' community offers support after husband of UMHS CEO Ora Pescovitz dies in car crash
BY NICOLE ABER
Mark Pescovitz, the husband of Ora Pescovitz — the University’s executive vice president for medical affairs — died in a car crash Sunday, The Indianapolis Star reported.
The accident occurred on I-94 in Jackson County, Mich., where Pescovitz was driving on his way back to Indiana after visiting his wife, The Indianapolis Star reported.
Pescovitz was a surgeon at Indiana University School of Medicine, the article stated.
In a statement posted on the University of Michigan Health System website, Ora Pescovitz thanked the University community for its support at this time.
“This unexpected tragedy reminds us all of the fragility of life, and I am grateful for the support and well-wishes that my family and I are receiving from the U-M and Ann Arbor communities, as well as from our wonderful friends and family in Indianapolis,” she wrote.
University President Mary Sue Coleman released a statement expressing condolences to the Pescovitz family.
“Those of us fortunate enough to know Mark saw firsthand his commitment to his family, to their faith, and to serving others,” Coleman wrote. “We know that their faith will support them in the difficult days ahead, and we offer our deepest sympathies to Ora and her family.”
The University of Michigan Board of Regents also released a statement sharing their sympathies about the accident.
“In the relatively short time that we have known him, his high energy and deeply held values have greatly enriched our community,” the statement reads. “We mourn his loss and grieve with the Pescovitz family and their friends and colleagues.”
In addition to being an organ transplant surgeon, Mark Pescovitz was the vice chair for research in the Department of Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, according to The Indianapolis Star. He was also a professor of surgery and microbiology and immunology. Mark Pescovitz worked full-time at the Indiana University School of Medicine since 1988, according to The Indianapolis Star.
In addition to his wife, Pescovitz is survived by his three children.
“My children and I will treasure Mark’s memory, and take solace from knowing how many lives he saved and touched throughout his career and life,” Pescovitz wrote in her statement. “He was a wonderful father, husband and friend, as well as an astute and creative artist, researcher and surgeon. He will be greatly missed.”
The funeral will be held Thursday at Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis. Ora Pescovitz is encouraging those who wish to express their condolences to make a donation to one of several organizations in honor of her husband “in lieu of flowers,” she wrote in the statement.
— Managing Editor Kyle Swanson contributed to this report.
