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Ed Beaumont

Dr. Jean Khawam, a retired HDVCH neonatologist, passed away on Sunday after a lengthy illness Many of you worked with Jean and understand what a great loss this is for all of us who knew him. Many of you never met him, so I will tell you a little about him. Jean arrived in Grand Rapids in 1975, having just finished his neonatal fellowship in Wisconsin. He was the second doctor to join our group. He continued to help our unit grow and flourish until his retirement in 2008. His hard work was instrumental in laying the foundation for what would become our children’s hospital. After retiring, he and his wife Souhair moved to Roanoke, VA to be near their oldest daughter Souha, her husband and 2 grandchildren. Jean was a great man and doctor. He was a true “gentle” man. He was a quiet person. He brought honest compassion to the nursery every day. He almost never lost his temper, never complained and always offered sensible advice when asked. He was smart, well-read and always tried to keep up with new developments in our field. Jean was an easy person to like because he was so nice and genuine. I took an immediate liking to him as most people did. He was a role model for me throughout my career and one of the reasons I decided to join our group. Those of us who knew him will miss him dearly. Those of you who never met him missed out on an opportunity to see what true greatness can be.
Tuesday May 23, 2017 at 8:10 pm
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