Garamella, Joseph J. age 97, MD, Ph.D. Pioneer in open heart surgery "You must never take away hope." Dr. Joseph J. Garamella believed in these words, and he spent his 54-year career as a surgeon dedicated to giving hope to thousands of patients whose lives he saved or made better. Dr. Garamella of Hopkins and Maple Plain, MN died Wednesday, June 21, at age 97. He passed peacefully from this world to the next surrounded by his family and the melody of the beautiful hymns they sang. Joseph was born November 8, 1919, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Italian immigrants Joseph Vincent Garamella and Incoronata Petrocelli Garamella. From a young age, he learned the value of hard work as he and his five siblings helped the family earn enough money to survive. He would continue to work hard throughout his life. After graduating from Holy Cross College, Worchester, MA, he went on to earn his medical degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1945. He interned at St. Francis Hospital, Hartford, CT, and did residencies at Holyoke Hospital in Holyoke, MA and Springfield Hospital, Springfield, MA. His early medical training also included service in the medical corps of the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1942 1948. In 1946, he married Christine Bouchard of Caribou, ME. Together they moved to Minneapolis, MN and raised five beautiful children. They were married 32 years. In 1950, Dr. Garamella began his training in general and thoracic surgery at the University of Minnesota. While in graduate school, he served as resident thoracic surgeon at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Minneapolis. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota Department of Cardiovascular Surgery in 1956. Dr. Garamella entered the field of open heart surgery when it was in its infancy, and he was one of the medical pioneers who helped develop and perfect the surgical techniques that are used today. He was the second surgeon to perform open heart surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis, and he and his team performed the first open heart procedure at Northwestern Hospital in 1958. His early work included ground-breaking methods to repair congenital heart defects. In 1959, Dr. Garamella and his associates moved their practice to St. Mary's Hospital in Minneapolis (now part of the University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview campus), where they developed an open-heart research laboratory and performed the first open heart surgery at the hospital in 1960. Although he worked primarily at St. Mary's, he had staff privileges at twelve Minneapolis and St. Paul area hospitals, including Fairview, Abbott, and Northwestern. He was dedicated to his life's work, and his relaxation was golf and his beautiful 263-acre farm, Wind Song Farms, located in Maple Plain. In 1979, Dr. Garamella married Jacqueline Hodges. They shared the love of medicine, nature and animal husbandry. At Wind Song, they bred champion Paso Fino Horses and Black Angus Cattle for 30 years. Dr. Garamella performed open heart procedures until the late 1980s, operating on thousands of patients. His plan was to pass on his practice to his protégé, Dr. Aydin Bilgutay, who was like one of his sons. Sadly, Dr. Bilgutay died from stomach cancer in the early 1990s. In the later part of his career, Dr. Garamella shifted his focus and began to use his gift for thoracic surgery in anterior exposures of the thoracic and lumbar spine for spine surgeons. This allowed him to begin semi-retirement by reducing his workload of personal care for acutely ill cardiovascular patients. Throughout his career, Dr. Garamella helped advance his profession through his contributions to medical journals, and his leadership in many medical societies and associations. But his most significant contributions to the field came from the work he did to instruct and influence the next generation of surgeons. For most of his career, he held academic appointments at the University of Minnesota Department of Surgery. He was an excellent teacher, with a knack for making complicated surgeries look simple. Dr. Mark Migliori and other colleagues call him an icon. "Not only was he one of the greats. He was great all the way through to the end. His skill never diminished," says Dr. Migliori. Dr. Garamella retired in 2007, shortly before his 88th birthday. He might have retired, but he never stopped gaining knowledge or being engaged. His boundless curiosity kept him reading and learning. He was never bored a day in his life. Although the Garamellas sold most of their property to Windsong Golf Club in 2001, they kept a farm of about 22 acres, where Dr. Garamella enjoyed spending time outdoors "walking the fences." Dr. Garamella received many awards and accolades during his long career, not the least of which was earning the nickname "Cool Hand Luke" from the nurses he worked with, who appreciated his composure and proficiency -- even in the most difficult cases. Despite his many significant accomplishments, he was a humble man who genuinely wanted the best for the lives of those he encountered. As much as he loved his life's work, he was also very devoted to his family. With his gentle way and quiet voice, he influenced every family member through his wisdom, guidance, and example encouraging them to focus on the core values of life and push beyond their perceived limitations. His quiet demeanor didn't limit his sense of humor, though. With his sharp, dry wit, he often was steps ahead, waiting for others to catch up! Dr. Garamella was preceded in death by three of his children -- Bruce Garamella, Krista Garamella Lewis, and Todd Garamella; former wife Christine; and siblings William Garamella, Leonard Garamella, Anthony Garamella, and Mildred Garamella. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jacqueline Garamella; daughters, Paula C. (Bill) Tiner, Gray Eagle, CA; Tonja Garamella, Boca Raton, FL; Tiffany "JT" Slayton, Baltimore, MD; daughter-in-law Barbara Garamella, Edina, MN; son-in-law Phil Lewis, Grand Junction, CO; sister, Laura Garamella Rossignol, Stratford, CT. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Dr. Garamella, Joseph, Dad, Grandpa, friend, mentor, healer through all these roles, he packed so much life into his 97 years. Although he is greatly missed, his legacy lives on through the thousands of lives he touched. Mass of Christian of Christian Burial Wednesday 10:00 a.m. at Lakewood Cemetery Chapel, 3600 Hennepin Avenue. Visitation Tuesday 4-7 p.m. at Gill Brothers Funeral Home, 5801 Lyndale Ave. So. Interment Lakewood Cemetery. Memorials preferred to The American Heart Association or the Red Cross. GILLBROTHERS.com MINNEAPOLIS, MN 612-861-6088