Obituary of Francis Joseph Varga, MD.

VARGA – Francis Joseph MD, 67 of Springfield, Missouri died suddenly Wednesday, January 4th in Springfield. He was born on April 14th, 1955 in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Varga, “Francis” to his family and friends, recently retired from Mercy Hospital in Springfield, MO where he served as Director of Hematopathology, Flow Cytometry and Immunoperoxidase for fourteen years. Prior to his tenure at Mercy, Francis held the same position at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD. Before moving to Maryland Dr. Varga practiced for two years at Washoe Medical Center in Reno, NV and one year working with his father, C Francis Varga MD, as Locum Tenens at The Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, NY. Francis graduated from Northwood School in Lake Placid, NY in 1973. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, DC for his freshman and sophomore year before transferring to The University of Freiberg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany where he studied for two years. He graduated from Reed College in Portland, OR in 1979 with a bachelor degree in chemistry and mathematics. He attended medical school at Syracuse University and then completed his residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in NH specializing in anatomical and clinical pathology. While at Dartmouth Hitchcock he was appointed Chief Resident and an instructor in pathology. Following his tenure at Dartmouth Dr. Varga became certified in hematopathology and received The Hitchcock Foundation Scholar’s award. Dr. Varga was certified to practice medicine in 1982. Francis was an avid collector of art. He was particularly fond of contemporary furniture and photography. He loved trees and arboriculture and enjoyed tending to his garden and spending time in the woods of the Adirondacks. He could identify trees by their leaves and easily identify exotic woods in fine furniture. He loved photography and proudly displayed many pieces he acquired at fine art shows and galleries with photos he had taken himself. A lifelong student of history and politics, his constantly expanding library was filled with books on post World I Russia, World War II, Reconstruction and the history of communist China. Every few years a new bookcase would appear in his study. New shelf space was never wasted. A loving father to Karissa and Alexander he adored spending time with his children. Halloween was one of his favorite holidays. He took great pride in creating original costumes for his kids. A bit of a showman, Francis couldn’t resist sporting a pair of horns for the occasion and parading around the neighborhood. Why miss out on all the fun? A “boy chemist” himself he enjoyed designing science experiments to awe and inspire his children. He bought mercury and dry ice and taught them how to handle these materials safely. He purchased Karissa her first iMac - in strawberry - when she was only three. Was it for her or both of them? Watching them play together on the computer it was a little hard to tell. Francis was a kind and thoughtful intellectual who possessed a unique perspective on life and the human condition. A true Renaissance man, we have lost a truly unique sole that we loved dearly. He will be missed. Francis is survived by his children, Alexander and Karissa Varga of Springfield, MO; his parents, Anita and Francis Varga of Lake Placid, NY; siblings, Paul Varga of Philadelphia, PA, Victoria Varga Brouder and her husband Daniel of Cumberland, ME, Thomas Varga of Jay, NY and nephews Ethan and James Brouder. He is predeceased by his brother George Varga and sister-in-law Loren Varga, née Fidalgo. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Saint Agnes Church in Lake Placid, NY on Saturday, May 27th at 11:00am followed by a graveside service at Saint Agnes Cemetery. Rev. John Yonkovig will officiate. A reception at High Peaks Resort will follow.  The M. B. Clark, Inc., Funeral Home in Lake Placid is in charge of arrangements.  Please visit www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com to share a memory or leave condolences.