As a physics grad student at Hopkins I was fortunate to meet Fernando and was drawn to his warmth and wisdom. He was a great teacher and recognized my interest in his medical training.. He took me on his rounds and a Clinical Pathological Conference. He spent hours teaching me to play and sing Papaveri e Papere. That's how I remember Fernando. He laughingly sang it to me over the telephone in 2014!

So sad to hear the loss of a true gentleman and lovely human being. I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Vescia at the PA Clinic in the "old days". He was kind and considerate to me which I greatly appreciated at that particular time. Condolences to his wife and family.

It is with deep sadness that I acknowledge the loss of a very dear friend. The world has lost the very best man I have encountered during my 77 year of life. My hearth goes to Colleen, who I meet personally and to Paolo who I meet via his photographic art.

"Uncle" Fernando was a special to me in many ways. BIRTH Uncle Fernando introduced my parents to each other. Without that introduction, I would not exist. THE EXCITEMENT OF MEDICINE As a little boy, sitting at dinner table, I heard stories of from my Father and Uncle Fernando of their housestaff days at Bellevue Hospital Stories of Tuberculosis, Heart Failure, Pneumococcal Pneumonia, Myocardial Infarction, Complete Heart Block (before the invention of the pacemaker). Real Doctors. They made diagnoses with stethoscopes, an ECG machine and a Chest X-ray and a CBC (all of which they did themselves) No CT Scans or MRIs. No echocardiograms. Ward B6. "The only problem with being on call every other night was that you missed half the cases." What an age ! The 1956 Noble Prize for Cardiac Catheterization at Bellevue Hospital. What an adventure ! I wanted to live that adventure. I wanted to be just like them. INSPECTION As a medical student, Uncle Fernando took me on rounds. Conjuctival Pallor, Anemia Palmar Erythema, Cirrhosis PALPATION Anxious facial expressions softed as he took his patient's hand and checked their pulse. A Gentle touch on the abdomen produced and equally therapeutic effect. PERCUSSION One heavy set young woman complained of intractable "Gas". "Something needs to be done!? No X-rays. Uncle Fernando percussed her jelly roll. "I am sorry to inform you, my Dear, this is not Gas." ?No? Well what is it, Dr Vescia?? "This, my Dear, is Fat. I will write you a diet" AUSCULTATION Uncle Fernando liked to tell me the story of the Hufnagel Valve. In 1954, Alfred Blalock insisted that all the students come to listen Jimmy's descending Aorta. Click-Pop. Click-Pop. Click-Pop "Dr Blalock?" "Yes Jimmy?? "The Clicking of my Valve keeps me awake. How will I know if my valve is still working?" "Jimmy, if the clicking stops, you should start to worry." "The clicking really doesn't bother me all that much, Dr Blalock? "Good Jimmy" SURGERY "Uncle Fernando?? "Why do you walk bent over like that?" "I made a terrible mistake"... "I let a surgeon touch me with a knife." TUBULAR MEDICINE "Medicine goes through phases. I have seen several" "I have lived through the phase of Antacids for ulcers, Surgery for ulcers, Tagamet for ulcers, PPI's for ulcers and Antibiotics for ulcers" "We are now in a new phase of medicine, I call it 'The Tubular Phase'. "Patients now go to hospitals to be put in tubes and have their bodies invaded by tubes. CT Scans, MRI's, Angiograms, Endoscopes" "They are then discharge and have no idea what happened? "My job is to explain all of the Tubular Findings to them" "I suspect, that this phase of Tubular Medicine, like Flatus, will eventually pass and we will all be greatly relieved? ADMINSTRATORS "When they call me in and sit me down and give me hard time, this is what I say: 'I have been doing this since 1955. It takes me 1 hour to evaluate a new patient' "Then, I get up and leave the room" STRESS "Remember the last words of Emperor Antonius Pius" "The Night Tribune came to ask him the secret password for the night" "'Aequinimitas', the Emperor said, and then he turned over and died" "He died has he had lived, with Equanimity" "Make Aequinimitas your Password" On those days when all seems lost, patients crashing in the CICU, ER loaded and calling with new admits, transfers coming by ambulance, cellphone battery drained to the redzone, I just want to scream. Sometimes I do. But more and more, I try to think of Uncle Fernando and my Father. They have not died. They are at my side. Their hands stretch out. They touch me gently on my shoulder. I look up and see them both, glowing in a state of perfect Aequinimitas.

One day, as a young graduate student at Stanford University, I opened my eyes and realized that I was at a hospital. After a few minutes I saw this smiling face looking over me, and the doctor asked: ?So you are from Portugal?? after my agreement, he then said ?You seem to have been studying too hard. You also need to have a little Port now and then!? And that was how I met Fernando in the early part of the year 1974. And we became good friends instantly. Over the years I visited Fernando and Colleen regularly, first when I was living at Stanford, then after I got married, had children, and later still on my trips from Europe. Fernando and Colleen even visited us years later in this city of Porto, in Northern Portugal, and we drove them to stay with us for a few days at our mountain home at Gerês National Park. Fernando was always very close to us and we always felt very close to him, at all times. Together with Colleen we shared so many beautifully intimate moments that a most warm feeling comes to me when I think of them. Our conversations on family, on education, on society, on politics and on the world were moments rich of excitement, discovery and learning. Fernando was a true humanist - a scientist of great experience and culture, certainly, but a gentleman of noble principles most importantly, a sharp observer of the human nature. And then there was his love, touching everyone and everything around him. His love for the family, his love for the people, his love for nature, his love for life. I learned so much with and from you, dear Fernando. Thank you for always being there.