Renowned Orthopedic Oncologist John Makley Dies of COVID Complications

Titan in orthopedics, John Thomas Makley, M.D., passed away on April 23, 2020, due to complications from COVID-19. He was 84 years old. Makley was a renowned orthopedic surgeon as well as a professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University Medical School and University Hospitals in Cleveland.

Dr. Makley was additionally a prominent member of the Medical Board of Trustees at MTF Biologics.

Makley specialized in oncology and musculoskeletal tumors and had a national influence on these fields over the course of his rich, half a century long career. He was an innovator in the national treatment of bone and soft-tissue tumors as well as bone banking. He is survived by his beloved wife (Kitty); four children and their spouses, John Jr. and his wife Molly, Charlene and her husband Cain, Mary and her husband Kevin, and Christopher and his wife Genna; and eight grandchildren, Elizabeth, William, Sara, Noah, Anna, Rosa, Kieran, and Braeden.

Education and Upbringing

Born in southern Ohio as the youngest of five siblings, Makley followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Tod, an ophthalmologist, and dreamed of becoming a doctor from a young age. His parents were third-generation children of southern Ohio’s Irish Catholic and German immigrant community. Makley met his wife, Kathryn, known as Kitty, in high school. After graduating from University of Dayton in 1957, he enrolled in the University of Cincinnati Medical School. He and Kitty married in 1960.

Makley often described his wedding day as “the highlight of his life.”

In 1961, Makley graduated from University of Cincinnati Medical School and interned at University Hospital. Here, Makley worked under the mentorship of Charles Herndon, M.D., who would be a lifelong mentor. Makley chose to pursue specialties in both orthopedic surgery and oncology. He then procured a year-long fellowship residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1968.

Career

In 1969, Makley began a position in Cleveland’s Orthopaedics Department at University Hospitals. He embarked upon a remarkable 50-year career as a surgeon and researcher.

Specializing in oncology and musculoskeletal tumors, he was known to demonstrate a unique sense of compassion for the suffering of his cancer patients. Makley’s career was marked by a sense of justice and patient advocacy that seemed ahead of his time. He was troubled by the increasingly complex role of insurance company interaction in patient care. In the 90s, he worked with Operation Smile in the Philippines, providing free operations for underserved populations.

Makley and his research partners explored a range of research topics and issues regarding cancer diagnosis and treatment, musculoskeletal tumors and infectious disease. Makley and his colleagues Charles Hubay, M.D., and Arnold Powell, M.D., Ph.D., developed a ground-breaking cancer screening test that requires only a small blood sample.

Makley and his mentor John Carter, M.D., published over 50 orthopedic journal articles through the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Makley was a founding member of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society in 1977. The group focused on policy-making with the needs of patients and their orthopaedic oncologists in mind. The Society now has over 150 members worldwide and now sponsors fellowships. In 1991, Makley received a “Distinguished Alumni Award” at his Alma Mater, the University of Dayton. In 2000, Makley retired from University Hospitals. He and his colleagues received the Carter-Makley-Theros lectureship in Musculoskeletal Pathology a few years later.

Retirement

In retirement, Makley and his wife moved to a five-acre property where he continued to demonstrate a passion for life and community. Makley built a vintage sports car and enjoyed his love of railroads by creating model railway systems in his own basement. He also built a railcar and enjoyed being with family on nearby abandoned tracks.

He also continued using his hands post-surgical career by creating heirloom furniture in his own woodworking shop and additionally volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, building over 25 walnut and cherry tables for families. Makley also participated in volunteer relief efforts during home rebuilding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Woodcutting, planting trees, caring for his land, fishing from his own pond, baking with fruit from his own fruit trees, beekeeping and honey harvesting, swimming, and time with grandchildren in his family home brought him joy during retirement years.

Makley also engaged in ongoing scholarship, exploring the humanities, history, theology, philosophy and anthropology through audiobooks, lectures, Chautauqua summer retreats and study around the world.

Makley also returned to part-time work in pediatric oncology at the Cleveland Veteran Affairs Medical Center’s Orthopaedic Surgery unit in the late 2000s. He retired in 2015.

Community

Dr Makley’s personal and professional life was marked by a deep empathy for others and a strong sense of community. Makley and his wife Kitty maintained a close-knit group of family, friends and neighbors in southern Ohio, Cleveland, the Midwest, and across the country. They entertained at home, maintained an active social life including enjoying parties, mystery rooms, and the hosting of a yearly family jamborees, wedding receptions for their children, organization meetings and Easter egg hunts for their grandchildren out of their family home.

During his active work years, Makley was known for mentoring other young doctors, hosting meals and outdoor events for hospital interns, and creating a sense of support and community along with his mentorship.

Makley continued community work and philanthropy in retirement, engaging in service through the local Rotary Club, community fundraising, organizing a lecture on medical and insurance issues and volunteer work in redistributing medical supplies and equipment to disadvantaged companies. Dr. and Mrs. Makley were recognized for ongoing philanthropic contributions as donor members of the “White Oak Legacy Society” for the Western Reserve Nature Conservancy, the “Bronze Benefactor Society” for University Hospitals, and the “Clara T. Rankin Society” for Hopewell Therapeutic Farm and the “Pacer Society” of the Catholic Community Foundation.

Finally, Dr. Makley made further contributions as a physician when he returned to a part-time position at the Cleveland Veteran Affairs Medical Center’s Orthopaedic Surgery unit as an orthopedic oncologist in the late 2000s. There, Dr. Makley staffed a large number of out-patient consults and offered non-operative care. He retired from the VAMC in 2015.

Makley was known for his passionate scientific curiosity, sense of justice, moral integrity, compassion for suffering, sense of humor in the face of great difficulty and unwavering Catholic faith. He demonstrated grace and the use of his sense of humor in facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2015. He was beloved by caregivers at Judson Park, where he spent his final months.

OTW spoke with Martha Anderson, EVP, Donor Services of MTF Biologics about Dr. Makley’s contribution to the field. Anderson said, “Dr. Makley was a long-time member of the Medical Board of Trustees of MTF Biologics (also known as the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation) and MTF’s Board of Directors. His commitment to and compassion for his patients were only matched by his surgical expertise, commitment to education and sense of humor. The Board of Directors and staff of MTF Biologics mourn his loss and appreciate his contributions to advancing the science of orthopaedic oncology and transplantation.”

Donations of Support

The family of Dr. Makley extended its “heartfelt gratitude to the heroic nurses and doctors at Judson and at the University Hospitals Intensive Care Unit who watched over him as he battled the coronavirus. Those practitioners put themselves at great risk, treating him with the utmost care, compassion and dignity, giving Dr. Makley the peace and comfort he deserved in his final hours.”

Charitable donations in the name of Dr. Makley can be sent to the University Hospitals COVID-19 Caregiver Support Fund or Lake-Geauga Habitat for Humanity.