Dr. William F. Enneking, a co-founder of the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine, passed away July 17 at the age of 88. Dr. Enneking was the first chief of orthopedic medicine at the UF College of Medicine and the first chair of the department of orthopedics and rehabilitation.
Orthopedic Leader Passes Away, Leaves Legacy of Education
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Remembrances
Dr. Enneking is survived by his wife, Edith Ellett Ennkeing. He is also survived by seven children, sixteen grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. The children and their spouses are Bill and Heidi, Bonnie and Dan, Maggie, Via and Ray, Flossie, Kayser and Mark, and Christjohn. Their grandchildren and their spouses are Erica and Thom, Teena and Robbie, Emily and Branden, Will, Maggie and Jamie, Jessica and Nate, Daniel, Maury, Raymond, Christopher Blake, Megan, Florence, and their father Blake, Olivia, Andrew, Emery, and Madelon, and their mother Danielle. The great-grandchildren are Thomas, Alex, Olivia, Robert, Milo, Annaliese, and Theo also a sister, Mary Claire Enneking Schroeder. A memorial service is planned for 1:00 pm on Saturday, July 26, 2014 at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Gainesville, Florida. A celebration will be held after the service at the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1926, Dr. Enneking earned his M.D. at the University of Wisconsin in 1949, and then interned at the University of Colorado for one year. From 1952-55 he completed an orthopedic residency at the University of Chicago. He spent nine years in the U.S. Navy (1943-1952) and in 1955 became an Instructor in orthopedics at the University of Chicago. In 1956 he moved on to the University of Mississippi where he served as Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief of Orthopedic Surgery. The remainder of his stellar career was spent at the University of Florida, where served as chair from 1974-1980.
Mark Scarborough, M.D. is the William F. Enneking, William E. Anspach and Orthopedic Alumni Chair in the College of Medicine Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Florida. He is also Dr. Enneking’s son-in-law. Regarding his father-in-law’s experience of being founding chair of the UF orthopedic department, Dr. Scarborough noted, “He thought it was exciting to be part of a new medical school and he delighted in educating young medical students to be great physicians. He always said you can train monkeys but you educate doctors.”
Dr. Enneking was a founding member and past president of the International Limb Salvage Society. Dr. Scarborough commented, “He was at the forefront of limb salvage surgery. Prior to his era, most patients with malignant bone tumors underwent amputation. He developed much of the cognitive framework that guides the field of musculoskeletal oncology today.”
As for what his residents said about him, Dr. Scarborough said, “He demanded excellence and hard work, and he got it.”
Dr. Enneking was also a past president of the Orthopedic Research Society, the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, and the American Orthopedic Association.
Dempsey Springfield, M.D. was a close friend of William Enneking. He said, “Dr. Enneking was the classic academic physician triple threat. He was a scientist, clinician, and educator. He advanced the science of bone biology and provided extraordinary personal innovative care to thousands of patients but it was his teaching that most affected those who were around him. He saw educational opportunities in every activity. Mike Simon, M.D. said it best: ‘He knew the sweet spot between the Socratic method and humiliation better than anyone.’ At conferences and meetings everyone wanted to know what he thought but prayed he would remain silent after they presented. That prayer was rarely answered. He pushed us to be better and we are better for that push. We do our best to emulate him. His influence in orthopedic education and in musculoskeletal oncology will be forever felt.”
A man of great insight and dedication, Dr. William Enneking will be greatly missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.
Gifts may be made in memory of Dr. William F. Enneking and directed to support the Orthopedic Education Fund at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Please make checks payable to the UF Foundation. Gifts may be mailed with a note indicating this gift is in memory of Dr. William F. Enneking: University of Florida Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 14425 Gainesville, FL 32604
For questions regarding gifts, please contact Harvey Green at the University of Florida Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute Office of Development and Alumni Affairs Phone: 352-273-5881 E-mail: harveyg3@ufl.edu
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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