In Memoriam (William Roach)
William R. Roach, MD , professor emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology and former chief of staff at Passavant Memorial Hospital (later Northwestern Memorial Hospital [NMH]), died October 20 of cancer in his Oak Park, Illinois, home. A native of Marquette, Michigan, Dr. Roach earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and MD degree from Northwestern in 1943, spending the next few years as an Army physician during World War II. He joined the attending staff at Passavant and the Northwestern faculty in 1948. Dr. Roach served as chief of staff at Passavant from 1966–67 and was president of the Chicago Gynecological Society from 1972–74. Among the thousands of babies he delivered during his 40-year career was Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill. Dr. Roach’s warmth and professionalism were recognized when a residents’ education center was named after him at Prentice Women’s Hospital and Maternity Center and in 1996, when NMH honored him with the Daggett Harvey Award. Dr. Roach is survived by a brother, two sons, two daughters, and four grandchildren.
