1941-2022
Brigham and Women’s Hospital mourns the loss of Robert Osteen, MD, a cancer surgeon and educator whose contributions to the field of surgical oncology influenced generations of surgeons. He died July 14 from complications following a recent injury. He was 81.
With a remarkable tenure spanning almost 50 years at the Brigham, Dr. Osteen established himself as a leading expert in surgery for tumors of the pancreas, liver, stomach, esophagus, colon, breast and other organs. Throughout his career, he served as an influential and beloved surgeon, teacher and mentor. Gifted with a sharp mind, colleagues frequently consulted Dr. Osteen for clinical guidance. Although he retired from clinical practice in 2006, he remained engaged in the instruction and mentorship of students and trainees.
Colleagues remember Dr. Osteen not only as a great surgeon but also a great teacher — one who inspired others both personally and professionally with his guidance and wisdom. In recognition of his lasting influence on surgical education, the Department of Surgery established a Junior Faculty Fellowship Award in his honor in 2006.
In retirement, Dr. Osteen delved into his interests of history and poetry. A lover of maps and sailing, he collected many antique maps. He wrote his first book in 2014, Festina Lente: Charting the Mediterranean 1814-1824, about William Henry Smyth’s charting of the Mediterranean. He dove into the experience, even learning the 1850 method for measuring longitude between the moon and fixed star. In 2021, he finished his second book, Surgery Under Fire, outlining his father’s experience as an anesthesiologist in WWII based on over 300 letters written to his wife. Dr. Osteen collected his own poetry, written over 50 odd years, in a book entitled, Zero to Five Knots and a Book, which focused on his loves of sailing, children, nature and his wife.
Dr. Osteen is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carolyn McCue Osteen; two daughters, Carolyn (Morey) Osteen Ward and Sarah Lloyd Osteen; and four grandchildren.
Dr. Osteen was born in Augusta, Georgia on February 14, 1941, and grew up in Savannah, Georgia. He graduated from Dartmouth College and Duke University Medical School and served in the U.S.A.F. from 1968-1970, primarily engaging in medical research focused on transplant surgery. In 1974, he completed his surgical residency at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, now Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he spent his entire career.