Mark R. Silk

“I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.” Dr. Mark Robert Silk recited these words when he took the Hippocratic Oath in the 1960s. They would come to define his professional ethics throughout his life, which he lost to Alzheimer’s disease on April 30, 2021. Passionate about his profession as a urologist for nearly 50 years and compassionate in his care for his countless adoring patients, Dr. Silk was a benevolent physician who embodied the values of an old-fashioned country doctor. Mark grew up in Kingston, NY, where he got his start as a prolific practical joker. He succeeded in playing pranks on his unwitting parents, Dr. Maurice and Sally Silk, and sister Sandra, and he enjoyed regaling people with accountings of these antics throughout his life. Mark would eventually choose to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue the study of urology at New York Medical College after earning his undergraduate degree at Union College where he excelled as a member of the tennis team, French Honors Society, and Kappa Nu fraternity. When he met his wife Doris Kaplan, Mark gained a formidable life partner whose wit and shared appreciation for jokes made her the perfect accomplice through almost 60 years of marriage and circling the world together. She was by Mark’s side as he trained at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and Guy’s Hospital in London, and as they began raising their family of three daughters (Stacy, Courtney, and Kelly) while he completed his residency as a chief resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, as well as service as a Major/surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. After his training, Mark settled with his family in West Hartford, CT, where he practiced urology at St. Francis Hospital, was a faculty member and prodigious researcher at UCONN Health Center, and author of several medical journal articles. Mark was a devoted father, who despite long days of treating patients and performing surgeries, would routinely find time to plan and take his girls on memorable Sunday morning outings and assist them with their schoolwork. He could skillfully perform an early-morning life-saving surgery and return home to construct a cardboard model of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the evening. Mark's multiple contributions to school projects always earned him an A. He was also a voracious reader and consumer of information. Mark routinely stockpiled books on his nightstand and in the multiple duffle bags he would take to his favorite vacation spot, Puerto Vallarta, MX. While in Puerto Vallarta, he loved nothing more than spending memorable days with his granddaughters Isabelle and Ashlyn, dancing to festive mariachi music, and watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Mark was a dedicated father and grandfather to Stacy Rome (husband David) of Farmington, CT, and granddaughters, Isabelle and Rachel (husband Carl, great-granddaughter Gwendolyn), Courtney Silk (husband Bill Walter) of Bloomfield Hills, MI, and Kelly Silk (husband Damon Saltzburg), and granddaughter, Ashlyn of Los Angeles, CA. His adventurous spirit, wry wit, kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity will be missed forever by all who were privileged enough to be touched by his ceaseless goodwill. For those desiring, memorial contributions may be made in Mark's name to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601 (www.alz.org/). The family will honor Mark in a private service. They wish to express their gratitude to Dr. and Mrs. Bimalin Lahiri, Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Schmidt, Dr. and Mrs. Joel Dinowitz, and the caring staff at Caleb Hitchcock Health Center.