On July 8, the Almighty Father sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to personally escort heaven’s newest angel and saint, Dr. Helen Vodopick-Goswitz, through the pearly gates.
It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of one of the greatest trailblazing women of our time, who passed away at the age of 94.
Born on April 29, 1931, in Milwaukee, Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz was raised by her Croatian immigrant parents. She attended Marquette University and later applied to Marquette Medical School (now the Medical College of Wisconsin), where she was initially waitlisted. By a stroke of fortune, the day before the first year was to begin, one of the incoming freshmen decided to attend another medical school, leaving an opening to be filled. The medical-school dean asked his assistant who should get the spot, and the assistant called Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz immediately. Thus, she was one of only three women in the entire medical-school class of 1956.
During her medical school years, Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz met the love of her life, Francis Goswitz, through a mutual acquaintance, Dr. Owen Chang, at a picnic. From that point forward, the two formed a personal and professional partnership to last their lifetimes.
They married in the Catholic Church on June 2, 1956, the day before they graduated from medical school. From there, they moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where they completed their internships and residencies at the University of Iowa hospitals. There were few opportunities for female physicians in the early 1960s, but her creed to never give up hope and always stay positive carried her on throughout life, and in helping her future patients.
In 1965, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) medical division offered a job to her husband, but he insisted the only way he would accept would be if they also offered a job to his wife. ORAU acquiesced and offered a job at a lower salary than the other male staff physicians.
Through her eloquence with words combined with medical expertise, she successfully applied for a grant her first year and was rewarded with a significant boost in salary and additional responsibilities at ORAU. In 1974, when the government closed ORAU’s medical division, Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz and Dr. Goswitz faced a choice: pursue government jobs elsewhere or establish a private practice. Fortunately for Oak Ridge, they founded the Oak Ridge Medical Clinic (ORMC), which served thousands of patients until its closure in 2017.
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz, alongside Dr. Liselotte Sigmar and Dr. Elaine Bunick, was one of only three female physicians at Oak Ridge Hospital, paving the way for future generations of women in medicine.
A highlight of Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz’s career was her interview with Lesley Stahl on “60 Minutes,” where she defended her pioneering work with radiation treatments for NASA. She also testified successfully before a Senate committee led by then-Sen. Al Gore.
Her dedication earned her the honor of having a fourth-floor wing named after her at Oak Ridge Methodist Medical Center, a testament to the mutual respect she shared with countless hospital staff.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz will be remembered as a devoted wife to Dr. Goswitz and a loving mother to her three children: Dr. Mary Dervay (Joseph), Frank (Jennifer), and Greg.
Despite a demanding schedule, working five and a half days a week, she prepared homemade meals and chauffeured her children to piano lessons and sports practices. She found joy in cooking, gardening, birdwatching, and outsmarting squirrels.
Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz is survived by her brother, Tom Vodopick (Sharon) of Phoenix; her eight grandchildren, Gretchen (Davis), Jessica (Brett), Patrick, Casey, Alexander, Ryan (Isabel), Maximillian, and Courtney; and her five great-grandchildren, Fitzgerald, Callahan, Cordelia, Scottie, and Merritt.
She was cherished by numerous relatives, friends, and patients. She relished seeing former patients, knowing that for many she helped extend their lives through her compassionate care.
Donations in Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz’s memory may be made to St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge in support of the school to which she was deeply devoted.
A rosary for Dr. Vodopick-Goswitz was prayed on Aug. 1 at Weatherford Mortuary in Oak Ridge. A funeral Mass for her was celebrated on Aug. 2 at St. Mary Church.