Remembering The PSF past President Thomas Stevenson, MD, 1946-2026
The PSF past President Thomas Stevenson, MD, passed away Jan. 23 at age 80. Dr. Stevenson was Professor Emeritus at the University of California-Davis and a longtime leader in the field of plastic surgery.
Dr. Stevenson was born Jan. 22, 1946, in Kansas City, Mo. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Kansas before receiving his MD there in 1972. Having graduated with honors, he entered general surgery residency under William Mueller Jr., MD, at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville) before serving his country with honor in the U.S. Army from 1978-80.
Dr. Stevenson's experiences strengthened his commitment to service and shaped his approach to leadership and patient care. His sense of duty reinforced his belief that discipline and service were inseparable from professional life. He attained the rank of Major and was posted in Wuerzburg, Germany – first as general surgeon and then chief of surgery in 1979-80. His time in the military was a period of intense clinical growth and deep personal meaning, as he provided vital general surgical care to soldiers and their dependents. The ethos of discipline and dedication became the bedrock of his long and noteworthy career in academic medicine. It also forged a fondness for the country – Dr. Stevenson often returned to Germany and became conversational in the language.
Upon completion of his military service, he began a plastic surgical residency at Emory University in 1980-82, training under the legendary Maurice Jurkiewicz, MD.
In 1982, The PSF past President William Grabb, MD, was expanding the plastic surgery section at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and with the support of Dr. Jurkiewicz, Dr. Stevenson traveled north to join Michigan's plastic surgery team. However, before he could start at Michigan, Dr. Grabb unexpectedly passed away and ASPS past President Reed Dingman, MD, returned from retirement to assume the chief of plastic surgery position. Dr. Stevenson then served under Dr. Dingman, bringing his knowledge of myocutaneous flaps and microsurgery from Emory. Dr. Stevenson became associate professor of surgery at the University of Michigan in 1988.
F. William Blaisdell, MD, chair of surgery at UC-Davis, in 1989 sought to expand reconstructive capabilities at the institution and recruited Dr. Stevenson, who then became the chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery, a post he held for the next 27 years. Under Dr. Stevenson's leadership, the division expanded its clinical programs and surgical training. Dr. Stevenson remained dedicated to surgical scholarship, coauthoring numerous peer-reviewed publications with R01 grants studying ischemic changes in muscle and neural units.
A leader on many fronts
A dedicated contributor to the broader professional community, Dr. Stevenson held many leadership positions in multiple plastic surgery organizations beyond his 2005 term as The PSF president – including president of the California Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2000 and chairman of the American Board of Plastic Surgery in 2006. These recognitions demonstrated the respect his peers had for his clinical judgment and professional integrity.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Stevenson pursued interests that reflected his rigor, complexity and order. He was a passionate apiarist, tending hives and sharing his fascination – and the honey he collected – with others. He became a licensed pilot and plane owner, finding joy and perspective in flight – pursuits that endeared him to many beyond his professional circle. His generous character of service manifested in more than 100 Angel Flights, the nonprofit charitable organization created to transport children and adults for distant medical care. He was also an avid fly fisherman, relishing satisfaction in the perfection of execution, much as in surgery. Perhaps most enjoyed was his time riding dressage with his daughter, Anne. The exacting training to execute supple, purposeful maneuvers held an unspoken corollary to surgical training.
Dr. Stevenson was the best of men and belonged to a generation of physicians formed in an era when medicine was at once a calling and a moral discipline. He practiced with extreme organization, clarity of thought, an intolerance of carelessness and a deep respect for the dignity of those entrusted to his care.
Renowned for his surgical expertise, leadership within professional organizations and dedication to education and service, he leaves a legacy that impacted both clinical care and academic medicine. It will carry on with his patients and with those fortunate trainees to whom he imparted the craft of plastic surgery. He was foundational to the UC-Davis Division of Plastic Surgery, and his contributions are directly attributable to the growth and current success of the program. Under his leadership, the division expanded clinical programs and surgical training, while also advancing UC-Davis's reputation for complex plastic surgery. He's remembered by colleagues and trainees as a thoughtful surgeon, an inspiring mentor and a steady presence in academic plastic surgery. We will miss his wisdom, guidance and unfailing kindness.
Dr. Stevenson is survived by his devoted wife of 57 years, Judy, whom he took to the senior prom in 1964, as well as his daughter, Anne; his son, Andrew; and his four grandchildren.
Memorial donations in his memory may be made to Angel Flights West or the Thomas Stevenson MD Lectureship at UC-Davis, kprussell@health.ucdavis.edu.
Dr. Wong is professor and chief of the UC-Davis Medical Center Division of Plastic Surgery.