We are deeply saddened to share that our longtime colleague and dear friend, Dr. John Singer has passed away. John passed away on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the age of 82.
Dr. John Singer and his wife Ruth founded Partners for Cancer Care and Prevention alongside Dr. Armando Sardi in 2011, building on years of successful medical missions to Colombia. Since its inception, John was deeply involved in the organization and its surgical services in Colombia and ensuring exceptional standards of care for under-resourced and under-served communities. In his career leading up to his leadership with PFCCAP, John served as the head of the surgical residency program at Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore for nearly thirty years. John was an accomplished writer and editor of a national academic surgery journal, and an experienced leader of his peers with a six-year tenure as the Maryland governor reporting to the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Singer’s career as a physician specializing in surgery, oncology, and endocrinology, and a life-long commitment to education and mentorship, spanned nearly sixty years.
Dr. Armando Sardi, Co-Founder and President of Partners for Cancer Care and Prevention, said, “It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our friend and fellow Board Member, John Singer. John was a co-founder and leader in our work for nearly twenty years and we are thankful for his outstanding leadership, friendship, guidance and wisdom. He will be greatly missed by the PFCCAP family, the cancer care community, and the many, many lives he touched over so many years."
When John was asked why he is so tireless in his dedication to serving others, he stated: "I feel that it is very important for the more fortunate to give back, to leave the planet better than we found it." John was always an outstanding example of this and it was a driving force that led to the creation of PFCCAP. With Dr. Singer’s leadership in service to patients in Colombia, PFCCAP achieved great things, including: providing direct medical services to thousands of patients, performing thousands of surgical procedures, conducting hundreds of patient navigation and support events and activities, and developing a remarkable model for breast cancer care difficult to come by even in the United States.
We ask you to join us in remembering John Singer as we honor his life and career of love and compassion. We celebrate his love of food and art and appreciating the beauty all around us. We cherish his sharp wit and (often unfiltered!) humor. And we carry forward his deeply held belief in the importance of service to others and the enduring value of community.
May we all embody John’s spirit of love without borders.
