Obituary of Thomas W. Panke

Thomas W. Panke October 28,1943 – May 22, 2025 Thomas W. Panke of Cincinnati, Ohio passed away on May 22, 2025, at the age of 81. He was peacefully at rest, with family by his side. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Thomas and Eleanor Panke. Tom is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Panke, his two children, Walter Pankiewicz and Julia Makela, his five grandchildren, Abigail and Sophia Makela, as well as Tomasz, Sylwia, and Virgil Pankiewicz, and his siblings, Betsy Norman and Josie Natle. Tom was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on October 28, 1943. Tom attended grade school at Holy Name School in Chicopee, Massachusetts where he first discovered his talent for running and established an early identity as scholar-athlete. After graduating from Holy Name School in June 1957, Tom attended Agawam High School in Agawam, Massachusetts. Tom excelled in track and field, specializing in middle distances. In particular, he would describe the one-mile distance as “something magical,” requiring a persistence to endure the greatest level of pain for the longest amount of time to secure a win. But this commitment to a high level of competition also brought unique joy. He would describe the deeply satisfying experience of a “runner’s high” – a feeling of “flying” through the racecourse effortlessly and becoming “one with the universe”. While Tom graduated from Agawam High School in 1961, his athletic achievements stood the test of time. In 2017, Tom was recognized for his athletic abilities and publicly induced into Agawam High School Athletics Hall of Fame for outstanding performances in one mile and two-mile races, as well cross country. Tom pursued his bachelor’s degree at University of Massachusetts. Initially a mathematics major, he encountered classmates engaged in the pre-med curriculum which appealed to deeper personal motivations. He felt excited when taking on challenging tasks related to medicine – how meaningful it could be to perform those difficult tasks for the purpose of helping others! This spark started a lifelong pursuit of medical sciences, starting with a pre-med major. His outstanding scholarly work at the University led to election into the Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies in 1964 and 1965, respectively. While studying at University of Massachusetts, Tom continued his scholar-athlete identity, competing in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track throughout his four years. In his Senior year, he was selected to receive the prestigious scholar-athlete award (Eastern College Athletic Conference for Scholarship and Athletic Prowess) which was presented to the best Student-Athlete across all sports programs at the University of Massachusetts in 1965. He also received the Chester F. Bowen Award in his senior year at the University of Massachusetts for Excellence in Track. Tom graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1965. Tom was then accepted into the University of Rochester School of Medicine (Class of 1970), beginning a more than 40-year career filled with notable professional achievements. Tom completed four years of Pathology Residency split between University Hospitals of Cleveland and Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center. He concluded his formal training with a fellowship in Hematopathology at the later Medical Center. Subsequently, Tom spent two years in the Army as Medical Director of Pathology at the Institute for Surgical Research (the Burn Center) in San Antonio, Texas and was the principal author of book on burn pathology named “Pathology of Thermal Injury”. In addition, he published 29 medical articles on a diverse number of topics in the medical literature. He has authored and coauthored 13 medical abstracts which were presented at national medical meetings across the country. Tom’s postgraduate medical career began in 1980 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. He quickly advanced to become Medical Director of the Good Samaritan Hospital Pathology Laboratory in 1987, with a staff of four other pathologists. Over time, his responsibilities grew from directorship of a single large metropolitan hospital to assuming the directorship of seven additional large hospital laboratories and 18 pathologists. Tom also had extensive experience in evaluating bleeding and thrombotic disorders, and he worked closely with many physicians who cared for the patients with these disorders. Additionally, over the period of 30 years, Tom led 25 teams of laboratory inspectors for accreditation of laboratories by the College of American Pathologists throughout the United States. While growing the practices, Tom simultaneously created extensive training programs and taught medical students, technology students, and pathology residents for over 26 years. Teaching and sharing medical knowledge, particularly in his area of understanding morphologic hematology problems, was one of his most rewarding endeavors. It provided Tom with opportunities to share his detailed knowledge of extraordinary cases experienced in daily practice, thereby improving the broader medical field. Tom received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Medical Education and Service from Good Samaritan Hospital in 2012. Tom’s greatest joys in life were deeply rooted in family connections. Social connections centered around family for Tom. He was devoted to supporting other's needs, always with an easy warm smile and sparkle in his blue eyes. He took great pride watching his two children, Walter and Julia, grow. Tom and Julia connected early through athletics when, at the age of eight, Julia expressed a desire to become a martial artist. Tom joined her in this endeavor, and they dedicated several hours each week over a period of 9 years to learn Tae Kwon Do, both rising to the level of a second-degree black belt. The time they spent together in these formative years built lasting connections, sharing stories and lessons from the scholar-athlete to the next generation. Tom’s relationship with Walter has evolved over the years into one of true admiration. Tom expresses his love for Walter’s ear-to-ear smile that draws people into conversation, his deeply engaged parenting that attends to the unique needs of each grandchild, and his unflappability in navigating stressful situations. Tom’s greatest blessing in life – that for which he was most thankful – is his close and loving relationship with Liz, his wife of 52 years. They are life partners in the truest sense... Celebrating many happy family celebrations side-by-side – from large family gatherings at Thanksgiving and Christmas, to the birth of their five grandchildren (Abigail, Sophia, Tomasz, Sylwia, and Virgil). And supporting each other through challenging times of illness or life stressors. Tom shared that Liz “is constantly the best thing that ever happened to me.” Throughout his personal and professional life, Tom always approached life with a sense of energy and positivity. He had a deep commitment to making both himself and the world a better place. Tom will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of knowing him. The family will receive friends on Thursday, June 5th from 10AM until the time of Mass of Christian Burial, 11AM at St. Cecilia Church, 3105 Madison Rd. (45209).