Donald Fishman, a pulmonologist and chief resident at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan, died at Calvary Hospital Hospice in the Bronx on Sunday. Dr. Fishman, who was 75 and lived in Montauk and Manhattan, had lived with cancer for eight years.
He was a loving husband and father, a devoted friend, and a dedicated physician, his family said. One of New York’s top pulmonologists, he taught medical students and trainees at Columbia University in addition to his residency at St. Luke’s and private practice. After an early retirement because of his illness, he remained committed to medical service and intellectual growth, counseling former patients, chairing the New York Fire Department Pension Fund’s pulmonary board, and enrolling in courses at Fordham University.
A born and bred New Yorker, Dr. Fishman nonetheless most enjoyed his time in Montauk, “surrounded by friends, family, and fluke,” said his son, David Fishman of Washington, D.C. He enjoyed fishing, swimming, and seafood, particularly lobster and clams.
Donald R. Fishman was born in New York City on Aug. 3, 1947, to Sidney Paul Fishman and Minerva Fishman. He grew up in the Douglaston neighborhood of Queens and in Kings Point. He graduated from the University of Rochester, where he was a Phi Beta Kappa scholar, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his residency at University of Michigan Hospital.
Dr. Fishman and Pam Kirshen were married on July 15, 1995. Mrs. Fishman survives.
He cared deeply about the people in his life, his family said, including an extended family of doctors and patients, and he changed many lives through his care. Faced with a difficult disease, he maintained an active social life and a persistent sense of humor. His family takes comfort in some of his final words, which he shared between bites of ribeye steak, charred octopus, and Maryland crab: “We don’t feel great, but we eat great.”
In addition to his wife and son, a brother, Stephen Fishman of New Jersey and Montauk, also survives, as do nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, and many friends.
A memorial service took place yesterday at Riverside Memorial Chapel in Manhattan.
Dr. Fishman’s family has suggested memorial contributions to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, at mskcc.org, or World Central Kitchen, a nongovernmental organization that provides meals in the wake of natural disasters, at wck.org or World Central Kitchen, attn: Donor Services Team, 200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 7th floor, Washington, D.C. 20001.
