Dr. Victor Parsonnet was fortunate enough to live to be 100 years old.
The world was fortunate to have him for each and every one of them.
Consider all he accomplished:
Parsonnet was an internationally acclaimed heart surgeon who practiced medicine for more than 60 years – performing New Jersey’s first successful heart and kidney transplants as well as the state’s first pacemaker implant. He also performed New Jersey’s first coronary bypass surgery and co-founded two major heart associations.
He did most of his work at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, which his grandfathers built to provide Jewish and Black communities with health care options at a time when they were often denied opportunities elsewhere.
He was a Navy man, too, joining the U.S. Navy Reserve during World War II after graduating from Cornell University and before earning his medical degree at New York University.
Parsonnet, however, had said previously that he was most proud of his efforts at the N.J. Symphony, where he served as chairman from 1991–2007 before being appointed Board Chair Emeritus in 2008.
During the 16 years as board chair and his 28 years as a board member, the Symphony underwent significant transformation and expansion. One of the most notable achievements was partnering with the state and Gov. Tom Kean and New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s board in the construction of the acclaimed arts facility, which opened in 1997 and became the symphony’s primary performance venue.
A favorite son of Newark (he graduated from Weequahic High), Parsonnet was inducted into the N.J. Hall of Fame in 2019.
His son, Dr. Jeffrey Parsonnet, reflected on his connection to the Symphony – and his love of music (he was an amateur pianist – in a family filled with musicians).
“A musical family, my grandmother Rose was an accomplished pianist, and my grandfather Eugene enjoyed playing the violin,” his son said. “My father often commented that his mother played the piano beautifully and was a true musician. Victor also played the piano, and the family musical legacy continues today as my sister Julie, brother Brian and I all enjoy singing and/or playing instruments.
“Our father will be greatly missed, but whenever we see the New Jersey Symphony musicians perform or listen to classical music, he will be with us.”
Parsonnet spoke of his love of the symphony during the year in which he was elected to the N.J. Hall.
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life, outside of practicing medicine; the most important was my relationship with the musicians and the New Jersey Symphony,” he said then. “It was a privilege to get to know them. It’s a thrill to watch these virtuosos work together to create music under a conductor. Many don’t have the opportunity to do what I did. I love the orchestra. I couldn’t have had a better life.”
His work at Newark Beth was literally lifesaving, as he helped establish Newark Beth as one of the leaders in transplant surgery in the country.
CEO Darrell Terry, upon Parsonnet’s retirement after more than 60 years of practice, reflected on his impact.
“We are forever indebted to Dr. Victor Parsonnet for his dedication to our patients, to this community and to advancements in cardiac research,” Terry said then. “He paved the way for our current success as one of the most comprehensive cardiac programs in the country,”
Tributes to Parsonnet – for all his many accomplishments – poured in on Friday.
One, from Ruth Lipper, a former Symphony co-chair, current trustee and longtime friend, perhaps summed up Parsonnet best of all.
“Victor was one of the warmest people I’ve ever met,” she said. “He had such a genuine personality.”
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the N.J. Symphony.
A video celebrating his 100th birthday, on Aug. 29, can be found here.
