RONALD GARY VICTOR MD

Ronald Gary Victor, MD passed away on September 10 at the age of 66 in Los Angeles, CA after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Ron was born in 1952 in New Orleans, graduated high school from Isidore Newman School and attended college at Cornell University where he graduated summa cum laude with distinction. He earned his medical degree from Tulane University and completed two residencies at UCLA before completing cardiology fellowships at Duke University, University of Iowa and University of Uppsala in Sweden.
Ron made a tremendous impact on humanity with his research. He spent 20+ years as the Chair of Hypertension at University of Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas where he developed an innovative approach to high blood pressure in the African American community. For this he was honored with the Humanitarian Award from the Professional Barber and Stylists Committee of Texas.
Ron joined the faculty of Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles as Director of Clinical Research and Director of the Hypertension Center where he continued his landmark barbershop research and took it to the next level. While at Cedars he proved that thousands of lives could be saved if barbers were enlisted to help fight the epidemic of high blood pressure in the male African American community. His study was recently published in the New England Journal of medicine. Ron is also credited for his pioneering stem cell research into treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Ron was humble, yet the medical community recognized him with countless awards for his outstanding and trailblazing research. He was the primary investigator on more than 140 studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals and was published 4 times in the New England Journal of Medicine. In medical circles, Ron is known for co-authoring the influential textbook Kaplan’s Clinical Hypertension, with his mentor, Norman M. Kaplan, MD. At Cedars-Sinai, Ron was the Burns and Allen Chair in Cardiology Research.
But perhaps his most cherished award came just weeks ago, when Ron’s colleagues at the Cedar Sinai Smidt Heart Institute held a symposium to honor his contributions to medicine.
Ron was a true giant in the medical field and has left a rich, stellar legacy that will benefit millions of people. He was a wonderful son, husband, brother, colleague and friend. We will all miss his good humor, big heart and passion for life.
Ron is preceded in death by his mother Gail Hausman Victor. He is survived by wife Vicki Adams Victor, father Harold D. Victor, sister Sally Victor Siegel (Bill), nephew Jack and niece Stephanie. In lieu of flowers, please direct memorial gifts to Cedars Sinai Hospital “In Memory of Dr. Victor” where gifts will be used to further Ron’s pioneering work in community intervention efforts to combat hypertension in neglected high-risk populations. Click here. (giving.cedars-sinai.edu) or donate to the charity of your choice.
Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a graveside service at Hebrew Rest Cemetery #3, 2100 Pelopidas Street, New Orleans on Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 11:30 AM. Condolences may be expressed online at www.tharpsontheimerfh.com. For information please call 504 835-2341.

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