Obituary of Galaa M. Agban MD

May 10, 1934 – December 1, 2017 Galaa M. Agban of Fairport, New York, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at the age of 83 after a brief illness. His sense of humor and love for his family never wavered. It was often difficult to tell when he was serious, even up to the very end as he continued his pranks despite his pain. He leaves a legacy of wisdom, compassion, and a love of medicine. Galaa was born in Alexandria, Egypt on May 10, 1934. He graduated from the University of Alexandria School of Medicine in 1959. He came to the US in 1965 and completed his residency in Toronto and Albany. He practiced plastic surgery, specializing in hand and facial reconstruction at St. Mary's and was on staff at all area hospitals. He also maintained his own practice, originally in Chili and later in Brighton. He served the community as a surgeon for over 50 years. His passion for medicine and service led him to be the first physician in Rochester to offer laser based surgery in the early 1970's and, as a result, he went on to provide training and support to physicians across the country. Galaa had a passion for travel and spent many summers in Europe. He held a renaissance world view and was a writer, a patron of the arts, and an explorer his entire life. He was also an avid gardener and in retirement enjoyed tending to his greenhouse. Galaa is survived by his three daughters, Liza (Bob), Amy (Ed), and Julie (Chris), and his nine grandchildren, Hannah, Emily, Felicity, Sophie, Andy, Charlie, Parker, Matthew, and Madison. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to his Hospice nurse Lindsay and his Highland Hospital Palliative Care Team, Daniel Mendelson, MD, and Carolyn McElhinney, NP. We will be forever grateful for their tremendous care. A Funeral Mass will be held Monday, December 4th at 1:15pm at Saint Louis Church, 64 South Main Street, Pittsford. Interment private. To share a memory of Galaa or send a condolence to the family visit www.miller1889.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Highland Hospital Palliative Care Fund, 1000 South Avenue, PO Box 40, Rochester NY 14620.