August 13, 2019
Legacy Gift Honors a Husband and Medical Pioneer
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| Dr. Setrag A. Zacarian |
In her final months of life, Aroxy Zacarian thought about what mattered most to her — four beautiful and accomplished children, nine wonderful grandchildren, one great-grandson, three siblings, and a dear husband of 51 years, Dr. Setrag A. Zacarian.
Passionate about people and living, Aroxy had devoted her adult life to volunteerism, the arts and the medical community, holding leadership and exemplary membership roles in the Hampden District Medical Society (formerly Hampden District Women's Auxiliary), Springfield Garden Club and the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, and founded the Longmeadow Women's Investment Club.
She also loved watching her husband's career grow and thrive through the 41 years he practiced medicine.
Dr. Zacarian became a world-renowned pioneer in the study of cryosurgery, which involves the use of extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissues, such as tumors. Receiving many national and international awards for research, he also brought the best in care to his patients and to the medical students he was proud to teach.
Aroxy was so proud of all the "research he did on skin cancers that is still being used in medical centers all over the world."
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| Aroxy Zacarian |
What especially gave the family joy was the wonderful colleagues whom they met when Dr. Zacarian started his Springfield-based practice, Dermatology Associates, in 1954 and the new colleagues they met when it merged with Valley Dermatology and Dr. Joseph Corcoran in 1994 to become New England Dermatology & Laser Center. These practices have brought wellness and treatment to thousands of patients across Western Massachusetts over the years.
When Dr. Zacarian passed away in 1998, his colleagues at New England Dermatology and Laser honored his memory and commitment to the advancement of medical knowledge by establishing an endowed fund at Baystate Health Foundation in his name.
It meant a great deal to Aroxy to know her husband's legacy would be known for generations.
The Dr. Setrag Zacarian Memorial Endowed Lectureship brings experts in dermatology to Baystate Health to speak on best practices, new treatments and exciting breakthroughs.
As Aroxy and her children thought about her own legacy, one of her final acts of kindness was to include a gift from her estate plan to help the Zacarian endowment continue to grow and make a difference.
"This region benefits from having highly trained and skilled physicians, who are current in the latest treatments and diagnostics and committed to teaching the next generation of doctors. Dr. Zacarian was clearly such a role model in his area of expertise," notes Dr. Abraham Thomas, chair of medicine for Baystate Health and the University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate.
"Endowed funds, such as the Zacarian Memorial Lectureship, help attract individuals to teach our local providers to remain at the leading edge of medicine. Thank you to the Zacarian family, the physicians at New England Dermatology and Laser Center, and community members for giving back to support this education."
To explore how you might honor a loved one and make a difference at Baystate Health, contact Kylie Johnson at kylie.johnson@baystatehealth.org or 413-794-7789.