Dr. Robert K. Brawley, "Bob," died November 19, 2024. He was born September 26, 1935, in Rochester New York, to Robert Eugene Brawley and Ruth Kimmel Brawley and grew up on a farm outside the small town of Arcanum, Ohio. He attended Denison University, but transferred to Ohio State when his father died in 1954. He graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State University and graduated third in his class at the Ohio State Medical School.

Bob was selected as an Intern in Surgery at Hopkins Hospital in 1961 and became a Resident in Surgery from 1962-1969. He remained at Hopkins as a Professor of Cardiac Surgery from 1969 to 1982 and was widely regarded as the best technical cardiac surgeon on the staff. During these years without tobacco prohibitions, he could often be seen conducting surgical rounds smoking a pipe.

In 1982, he founded the St. Joseph Hospital Cardiac Surgical Center with his long-time surgical partner, Garth McDonald. This facility was the first cardiac surgical center in a community hospital in Maryland and was known for its excellent patient care. At its peak, the practice was performing more open-heart surgeries than either Johns Hopkins or University of Maryland.

Incredibly, after retiring from surgery, Bob went back to school in 1991 and received an MBA. He worked for the Hopkins marketing department as a medical liaison between Hopkins and smaller regional hospitals.

Bob's relentless work ethic and subtle leadership style can probably be attributed to his early days growing up in a farm community. He always fed animals first, never left a gate open, and was fond of the saying, "a pulling mule don't kick." His response to adversity was to get up earlier and to work harder. Throughout his professional career, he always had a garden and for a while may have been the only resident of Roland Park with a sweet corn crop. In his later years, he spent long days gardening, relishing the demanding physical labor of working the land. He took great pride in his well-manicured yard and was constantly pruning trees and trimming bushes. Some family members thought he may have taken the surgical precision of his pruning a bit too far.

In Norman Maclean's novel, "A River Runs Through It", the first line is "In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing." That sentiment was certainly the case for Bob, who was never happier than standing in the middle of a stream, seeking trout, and admiring God's handiwork. He was fortunate enough to fish all over the world, but his favorite spot was Spruce Creek, Pennsylvania, where he fished for over twenty years with friends and family.

Bob was no fan of pretense and admired anyone who worked hard. He did not believe there were menial jobs or lesser occupations. He admired the stories of the common man, of hardscrabble lives and those of human triumph over adversity. He was drawn particularly to the tales of John

Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway. He was attracted to turbulent storms and strong winds because of the way they carve the landscape and shape people's lives. His favorite season was fall, and he lived just long enough to experience his 89th.

Bob Brawley was preceded in death by his wife of fifty-six years, Permilla Smith Brawley and his brother, Richard Gaylord Brawley. Bob is survived by his son R. Hunt Brawley; Hunt's wife, Dr. Sandra Kolankiewicz; Bob's son, Roland Scott Brawley; Bob's daughter, Katherine (Kate) Brawley Hogan; Kate's husband, Tad Hogan; and Bob's friend, Barbara Foster. Bob was also the cherished grandfather of Madeleine (Maddie) Brawley, Trevor Brawley, Garrett Hogan, Gwen Hogan, Robert (Gus) Hogan, and was lovingly survived by many nieces and nephews.