Philip S. Cifarelli
Philip S. Cifarelli (July 18, 1935 - April 2, 2008) was an American physician and attorney in Orange County, California who established a legal medicine bioethics educational program at the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, formerly COMP.
Early life
Cifarelli was born at his parents' home in New York City on July 18, 1935. The son of an Italian immigrant father, Cifarelli spent his youth in Jackson Heights, New York. In 1952, at the age of sixteen, he entered the Men's Light-Heavyweight Division of the Golden Gloves Boxing League. During his brief boxing career, Cifarelli reportedly maintained a winning record, losing only one bout and never suffering a knockdown. Cifarelli worked at the Roman Bronze Works foundry in Brooklyn, New York during his young adulthood. His maternal uncle owned and operated this foundry, which produced bronze sculptures such as the Heisman Trophy, the statue of Thomas Jefferson in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, D.C., the statue of Atlas at Rockefeller Center, New York, and other pieces. It was there that Cifarelli developed an interest in bronze sculptures.
Education and early medical career
Cifarelli reportedly showed little academic aptitude or interest during his schooling through high school. By his own account, he interacted with a "tough crowd" and was frequently involved in physical confrontations. He had numerous disciplinary issues and barely graduated. Consequently, the high school guidance counselor recommended Cifarelli pursue a career involving manual labor and gave him an application to the Sanitation Department for the City of New York upon graduation.
After graduating from high school, Cifarelli's grades were not high enough for general admission to college. Instead, he was allowed to enroll in two college courses on a probationary status during the summer immediately following high school graduation. He earned straight A's in the courses and was accepted into the university; within one year his performance earned him an academic scholarship. Cifarelli majored in biology at Long Island University while working nights as an attendant at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, where he developed a love of opera. His honors for academic achievement included earning a Departmental Medal in Biology presented to him by William Zeckendorf. He attended medical school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. On a visit home during medical school he met Jean Abitabile, a New York native, whom he later married. After graduating from Georgetown, Cifarelli returned to New York City, where he practiced medicine for several years, working with physicians including Dr. Philip A. LoPresti. During this period Cifarelli, in collaboration with others, became involved in developing and testing the gastroscope. Cifarelli worked in many hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens, N.Y. including St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. where he founded the Gastroenterology Clinic and served as Chief of the department.
Cifarelli spoke four languages. He spoke two dialects of Italian and was semi-conversational in Latin. He was reportedly proficient in French and became the preferred student-substitute for French class at all levels on campus after his first year of studies in college.
Military service - Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War
In 1966, Cifarelli enlisted in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He served in Vietnam from 1966 through 1967, attaining the rank of Captain and serving as Chief of Medicine at the 67th Evac. Hospital in QuiNan, Vietnam. He was awarded a Bronze Star and a Letter of Commendation for his service during the war.
In 1982 he re-joined the Army, in its reserve unit as a Lt. Colonel. Two years later he attained the rank of full Colonel and continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves Medical Corps through most of the 1990s. During that period he was named Chief of Medicine and later Commander of the 349th General Hospital in Los Angeles, a unit called to serve in the Persian Gulf War. He also commanded the 458th MASH Unit and later served as a Consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General, obtaining a top secret clearance at the Pentagon. Cifarelli retired from the military at the turn of the millennium.
Move to California
In December 1970 Cifarelli and his wife and four children moved to California. Through the 1970s and 1980s he served as Chief of Medicine and Chief of Staff at several Orange County hospitals including Good Samaritan Hospital in Anaheim, California. At Good Samaritan in 1978 Cifarelli met Ferdinand Waldo Demara, "the Great Imposter," who was serving as the hospital's chaplain. Cifarelli began inviting Demara to family gatherings at his home and helped secure Demara a place to live in the hospital, where Demara later died. In the 1970s Cifarelli began teaching clinical medicine at U.C. Irvine Medical School and legal medical subjects at COMP. He attained the rank of full clinical professor at UCI Medical School and at COMP and held those positions until his death. In 1979 he was named in the First Edition of "The Best Doctors of America."
Legal career
In the mid-1970s Cifarelli began attending night school at the Western State College of Law, while continuing his career as a physician during the day. He passed the bar and began practicing both law and medicine in 1979, becoming one of the first physician-attorneys in Orange County. He devoted much of his practice to medical malpractice issues. He later moved his law practice to Santa Ana and continued to practice law for several years, joined in the late 1980s by his oldest son Philip C. Cifarelli.
After a short semi-retirement in the late 1990s, Cifarelli returned to the practice of law around 2000, joining the law firm run by his sons including child rights attorney Thomas A. Cifarelli, at The Cifarelli Law Firm, LLP. During the second half of his legal career, Cifarelli began representing physicians in legal and ethical issues related to the treatment of patients, including the terminally ill.
Teaching and advocating for patients' rights
Cifarelli focused on bioethics issues on behalf of terminally ill patients seeking the right to die with dignity and the physicians who treat them. Dr. Cifarelli became involved with the American College of Legal Medicine, educating physicians and attorneys about Bio-Ethics and the right to death with dignity. He served as President of the American College of Legal Medicine in 2005 and was honored with the organization's gold medal for lifetime achievement in March 2008. At COMP Cifarelli established the school's first Legal Medicine Ethics program in 1978 and taught physicians about the ethical and legal issues doctors face in their care of patients, including the terminally ill. Cifarelli reportedly represented physicians being investigated by the State Medical Board for following patients' wishes and providing end-of-life care to terminally ill and suffering patients.
Death and family
Cifarelli was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer of 2007. He underwent treatment for the disease until his death. He is survived by his four children Emilia Longo, Nina Longo, Philip C. Cifarelli and Thomas A. Cifarelli, and seven grandchildren Candace, Amanda, Jeanine, Alex, Vincent, Angela and Michael. He is also survived by his younger brother Albert V. Cifarelli of New York City, and his second wife Barbara.
Early life
Cifarelli was born at his parents' home in New York City on July 18, 1935. The son of an Italian immigrant father, Cifarelli spent his youth in Jackson Heights, New York. In 1952, at the age of sixteen, he entered the Men's Light-Heavyweight Division of the Golden Gloves Boxing League. During his brief boxing career, Cifarelli reportedly maintained a winning record, losing only one bout and never suffering a knockdown. Cifarelli worked at the Roman Bronze Works foundry in Brooklyn, New York during his young adulthood. His maternal uncle owned and operated this foundry, which produced bronze sculptures such as the Heisman Trophy, the statue of Thomas Jefferson in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington, D.C., the statue of Atlas at Rockefeller Center, New York, and other pieces. It was there that Cifarelli developed an interest in bronze sculptures.
Education and early medical career
Cifarelli reportedly showed little academic aptitude or interest during his schooling through high school. By his own account, he interacted with a "tough crowd" and was frequently involved in physical confrontations. He had numerous disciplinary issues and barely graduated. Consequently, the high school guidance counselor recommended Cifarelli pursue a career involving manual labor and gave him an application to the Sanitation Department for the City of New York upon graduation.
After graduating from high school, Cifarelli's grades were not high enough for general admission to college. Instead, he was allowed to enroll in two college courses on a probationary status during the summer immediately following high school graduation. He earned straight A's in the courses and was accepted into the university; within one year his performance earned him an academic scholarship. Cifarelli majored in biology at Long Island University while working nights as an attendant at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, where he developed a love of opera. His honors for academic achievement included earning a Departmental Medal in Biology presented to him by William Zeckendorf. He attended medical school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. On a visit home during medical school he met Jean Abitabile, a New York native, whom he later married. After graduating from Georgetown, Cifarelli returned to New York City, where he practiced medicine for several years, working with physicians including Dr. Philip A. LoPresti. During this period Cifarelli, in collaboration with others, became involved in developing and testing the gastroscope. Cifarelli worked in many hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens, N.Y. including St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. where he founded the Gastroenterology Clinic and served as Chief of the department.
Cifarelli spoke four languages. He spoke two dialects of Italian and was semi-conversational in Latin. He was reportedly proficient in French and became the preferred student-substitute for French class at all levels on campus after his first year of studies in college.
Military service - Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War
In 1966, Cifarelli enlisted in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He served in Vietnam from 1966 through 1967, attaining the rank of Captain and serving as Chief of Medicine at the 67th Evac. Hospital in QuiNan, Vietnam. He was awarded a Bronze Star and a Letter of Commendation for his service during the war.
In 1982 he re-joined the Army, in its reserve unit as a Lt. Colonel. Two years later he attained the rank of full Colonel and continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves Medical Corps through most of the 1990s. During that period he was named Chief of Medicine and later Commander of the 349th General Hospital in Los Angeles, a unit called to serve in the Persian Gulf War. He also commanded the 458th MASH Unit and later served as a Consultant to the U.S. Army Surgeon General, obtaining a top secret clearance at the Pentagon. Cifarelli retired from the military at the turn of the millennium.
Move to California
In December 1970 Cifarelli and his wife and four children moved to California. Through the 1970s and 1980s he served as Chief of Medicine and Chief of Staff at several Orange County hospitals including Good Samaritan Hospital in Anaheim, California. At Good Samaritan in 1978 Cifarelli met Ferdinand Waldo Demara, "the Great Imposter," who was serving as the hospital's chaplain. Cifarelli began inviting Demara to family gatherings at his home and helped secure Demara a place to live in the hospital, where Demara later died. In the 1970s Cifarelli began teaching clinical medicine at U.C. Irvine Medical School and legal medical subjects at COMP. He attained the rank of full clinical professor at UCI Medical School and at COMP and held those positions until his death. In 1979 he was named in the First Edition of "The Best Doctors of America."
Legal career
In the mid-1970s Cifarelli began attending night school at the Western State College of Law, while continuing his career as a physician during the day. He passed the bar and began practicing both law and medicine in 1979, becoming one of the first physician-attorneys in Orange County. He devoted much of his practice to medical malpractice issues. He later moved his law practice to Santa Ana and continued to practice law for several years, joined in the late 1980s by his oldest son Philip C. Cifarelli.
After a short semi-retirement in the late 1990s, Cifarelli returned to the practice of law around 2000, joining the law firm run by his sons including child rights attorney Thomas A. Cifarelli, at The Cifarelli Law Firm, LLP. During the second half of his legal career, Cifarelli began representing physicians in legal and ethical issues related to the treatment of patients, including the terminally ill.
Teaching and advocating for patients' rights
Cifarelli focused on bioethics issues on behalf of terminally ill patients seeking the right to die with dignity and the physicians who treat them. Dr. Cifarelli became involved with the American College of Legal Medicine, educating physicians and attorneys about Bio-Ethics and the right to death with dignity. He served as President of the American College of Legal Medicine in 2005 and was honored with the organization's gold medal for lifetime achievement in March 2008. At COMP Cifarelli established the school's first Legal Medicine Ethics program in 1978 and taught physicians about the ethical and legal issues doctors face in their care of patients, including the terminally ill. Cifarelli reportedly represented physicians being investigated by the State Medical Board for following patients' wishes and providing end-of-life care to terminally ill and suffering patients.
Death and family
Cifarelli was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer of 2007. He underwent treatment for the disease until his death. He is survived by his four children Emilia Longo, Nina Longo, Philip C. Cifarelli and Thomas A. Cifarelli, and seven grandchildren Candace, Amanda, Jeanine, Alex, Vincent, Angela and Michael. He is also survived by his younger brother Albert V. Cifarelli of New York City, and his second wife Barbara.
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