Manuel Fernandes, MD, age 89, of Riverdale, NY.  Died on Tuesday October 24, 2017.  Beloved Husband, Father, Uncle, Grandfather; Surgeon, Teacher, Mentor.

He was born in the early morning of September 18, 1928 in the parish of Vila Fonche, Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal, to the late Antonio and Ana Alves Fernandes.  He grew up alongside his brother Joao Alves Fernandes and sister Maria Alves Fernandes.

He completed secondary school at Liceu Sa de Miranda in Braga, Portugal.   Between 1952-1954, he served in the Portuguese Army and attained the rank of First Lieutenant.  He graduated with a doctorate in medicine from University of Coimbra, Portugal in June 1956.  After completing surgical internships in both Coimbra and Lisbon, Portugal, and presenting a thesis in leukemia at the Institut Curie in Paris, France, he arrived in America on Labor Day in September, 1957.  His post doctoral surgical training took him through St. John’s Riverside Hospital, Yonkers, NY, followed by St. Raphael Hospital, New Haven, CT, and finally Bellevue Hospital-Cornell, NY where he finished training as Chief Resident in Urology.  During his clinical career, he was an active surgeon at  Bellevue Hospital, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospitals, UMDNJ/Newark, St. Michael Hospital in Newark, Newark Beth Israel Med. Center, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in East Orange, NJ.  During this time, he held academic appointments at Cornell Medical College, then at the College of Physicians & Surgeons Columbia University, and finally at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, culminating as a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery/Urology. He was a member of numerous medical societies, most notably a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, Member of Society of Alumni of Bellevue Hospital (Emeritus) and of St. Luke’s Roosevelt Medical Center.   It was during his time working at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospitals that he met Elaine Virginia Digrande, MD.  They were married on December 16, 1973, with his beloved sister-in-law Linda Susan Boatti and Stephen John Boatti in attendance.  He was a gifted surgeon and teacher and touched the lives of many patients and doctors-in-training.

He is survived by his beloved wife Elaine; his son David Lawrence Fernandes, MD, and his wife Kelley Nicole Girod; and his two granddaughters Penelope Evelyn and Noelle Anamaria.  He is further survived by nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Reposing Thursday 2-4 and 7-9 pm at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, 6110 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY. Mass of Christian Burial 9:45 am at St. Margaret of Cortona Church. Burial Woodlawn Cemetery.

Donations to Doctors Without Borders would be greatly appreciated.