In Memoriam: Dr. Joseph S. McLaughlin

Joseph McLaughlin passed peacefully in his sleep on March 1, 2025, surrounded by family. He was 94 years old. He and his brother John were raised by their mother Ada McLaughlin during the Great Depression. Their father had tragically died in an automobile accident. He attended School #64 in Forrest Park and graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. A strong athlete, he was on the wrestling and lacrosse teams at Loyola College. In 1949 he was the starting goalie in the national championship game, losing to Hopkins 12 to 8. Matriculating to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he graduated at the top of his class. Continuing his education at the University of Maryland, he completed his General and Cardiovascular surgery training there. After receiving a Markle Scholarship, he spent one year at Yale and then two years at the National Heart Institute at NIH. He finished his training at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland with the distinguished transplant surgeon Sir Michael Woodruff. Dr. McLaughlin returned to the University of Maryland as a member of the surgical faculty, where he excelled. He wrote the original grant and was the first Clinical Director of the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.

He was chosen as the Chairman of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, a position he held for thirty years. As a clinician and scientist, he performed 15,000 cardiac surgical procedures on children and adults and published 250 abstracts and papers in medical journals. Dr. McLaughlin trained over 60 talented women and men to become cardiac surgeons, many of whom are still in practice today. Dr. McLaughlin retired from surgery at the age of 70. During his surgical career, he served on the Board of the American Heart Association and was President of the Thoracic Surgeons Program Directors Association for the United States and Canada. Dr. McLaughlin was awarded the State of Maryland Governor's Citation on three separate occasions. One, for his decades of service to the Mission Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. The second for his collaboration with the University of Maryland for establishing the first cardiac Surgery Program in Karachi, Pakistan. The third citation was for leading a team of surgeon volunteers to Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Following his surgical career, Dr. McLaughlin received his Masters of Business and Hospital Administration degree from Harvard University. He returned to the University of Maryland and worked in the Dean’s office. He stepped down from the position at the age of 78 but continued on as the Editor in Chief of the University of Maryland Medical Bulletin, fully retiring at the age of 88. In total, Dr. McLaughin was a member of the University of Maryland medical community for 66 years.

Dr. McLaughlin enjoyed a vigorous retirement. He and his wife Irene, a teacher of children with reading disabilities, established a program for disadvantaged children. For her work, Irene was also awarded a Governor’s Citation. In retirement, Dr. McLaughlin was most proud of his work with wounded soldiers returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. He welcomed these heroes into his home and helped prepare them for their next stage in life.

Prior to his death, recognizing a lifetime of service, Dr. McLaughlin was presented as an Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay, the highest honor bestowed by the state of Maryland. Dr. McLaughlin was preceded in death by his father Joseph McLaughlin, his mother Ada McLaughlin, his wife Irene, his brother Captain John McLaughlin and his son Sean. He is survived by his sons Joseph, John, Jeffrey (Sherri) and beloved grandson, Joseph.

The family will receive guests and friends on Friday, March 7th from 6pm until 8pm at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home, 200 S. Harrison St. Easton, MD. A funeral service at the funeral home will take place on Saturday, March 8th at 11am. Interment will follow at Oxford Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the University of Maryland School of Medicine for the Dr. Joseph S. McLaughlin Professorship . Checks should be made payable to the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation, Inc. (UMBF, Inc.) and sent to the University of Maryland Medicine Philanthropy Office at 31 S. Greene St., 3^rd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201.

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